


Sunflowers Like Gold

by nevwords



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Growing Pains, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-09
Updated: 2019-06-12
Packaged: 2019-07-28 14:34:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 40,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16243655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nevwords/pseuds/nevwords
Summary: 25 year old Maxine Kwang is on the brink of a mid-mid-life crisis. So when her parents ask her to spend a year revamping her recently-passed grandfather's abandoned farm, she jumps for it. Clear eyes, head first, can't lose, right? Except she doesn't know a thing about farming. Or about living in a rural town, where everyone knows everyone's business. But with the help of the friends she makes along the way, the future is starting to look bright...





	1. The beginning

**Author's Note:**

> my first post! please go easy on me :)

Maxine Kwang woke up to the sun glaring bright into her face, and the bus driver’s gruff yelling: “Next stop, the Valley!” She wiped at her dark brown eyes, then noticed with regret the eyeliner smudges now all over her hands. Grunting in annoyance, she stretched her arms overhead, letting her contorted body unravel, after nearly ten hours on the bus, and reached down to get her bags.

A 4 AM wake-up call hadn’t prevented a hurried rush to the downtown bus station, where her parents nearly drove into the bus, in their haste to get the parting driver’s attention. She’d hugged them quickly, and promised to call as soon as she arrived, and then the long journey had begun. After boring herself skimming a stray magazine and scarfing down a limp, nearly-expired salad from an unremarkable pit-stop – and Maxine loathed salads – the hum of the highway had finally lulled her into an anxiety-ridden sleep.

And now, looking out the window, her anxieties were coming true. Green as far as the eye could see. She inhaled sharply. _What the hell have I gotten myself into?_ Where Maxine came from, lights polluted the night sky, so they became the stars. Staying up until dawn, her laptop blaring the latest EDM, reality TV on in the background, and her phone constantly buzzing with the latest social media notifications – well, that was Maxine’s life. Skyscrapers and shopping centers, people bustling out of dive bars as late as 3 AM, and bleary-eyed shuffling onto subways at 6 AM to get to work…Maxine had never imagined living a life without any of that. And yet, here she was. At the Valley. And the farm.

The bus halted abruptly, causing Maxine to bump her head against the seat in front of her. “Last call!” Exhaustion coated the bus driver’s voice as he pulled the door lever open. Maxine jumped out of her seat and realized that literally no one else was on the bus. In the last ten hours, the packed bus had dwindled down to one single passenger: her. And as soon as she stepped off the bus, and retrieved her luggage, she could see why. A sign posted against a maple tree said “Pelican Town, population 30.”

Maxine was literally the 31st resident!! She took a much-needed inhalation, puffing out her chest for some semblance of confidence.

She looked around and saw two people studying her from a nearby bench. “Maxine, is that you?” the young red-haired woman said, standing up. She swatted at the much older man, who had a comically large grey mustache, and suspenders. “It is, Lewis! It’s her! Wow, she looks just like Uncle Hugo!” The woman rushed to Maxine’s side, and grabbed her hand, shaking it profusely.

The old man then came forward, his eyes crinkling in suspicion, before his face broke into a smile. “Maxine, it’s so good to meet you, finally. We’ve heard so much about you. I don’t think you were one of the kiddos who visited Uncle Hugo too often, is that right?"

“N-no, sir,” Maxine let out. “Never, actually.” Her cousins had always talked so highly of the Valley, but no matter how many invitations were extended, Maxine’s parents had always dismissed the prospect, and whisked Maxine abroad every summer. Not that she was complaining. Grandpa Hugo was the highlight of every Christmas in the city, regaling the kids with stories of his wild farm animals, and the even wilder townsfolk who made up his Valley neighbors. It was only now that she felt how bittersweet it was to finally visit the Valley, when her Grandpa had passed over a year ago.

“Well, then it’s going to be a real pleasure for you to be here for the first time! You’re going to love it, I promise you that! I’m Mayor Lewis. Your grandfather and I go way back – we were schoolmates a long time ago.”

“Like, last century!” the red-haired woman snorted.

"And this kind woman is Robin,” Mayor Lewis said, raising an eyebrow at his companion. “We’ve been working together the last few weeks to prepare for your arrival. Everything should be ready to settle you in, but feel free to let us know if anything is amiss.”

Maxine could only nod and smile at this point. She was so used to her own circle of family (only child) and friends (the select few her introverted soul could tolerate), and so, to meet all these new people with all these expectations of her – it was intimidating. Maxine only became more reserved as she followed behind the pair, listening to them excitedly chatter away about the virtues of the Valley in the spring. From the types of produce her grandfather used to grow (“One summer, he brought the hugest cauliflower into town that anyone had ever seen! Fed everyone for a month.”), to the people she was going to meet (“Oh, you HAVE to meet my son! He’s about your age. This is perfect timing – he hasn’t been out of his room since winter started.”), and the jellyfish dance at the end of the year (what???), Maxine’s head was spinning. She was barely processing all the names and places thrown at her (what the heck was a skull cave??), that she didn’t even realize they’d finally stopped.

“Oof!” Her momentum was thrown off, as Maxine walked into Robin, who was fortunately sturdier on her feet.

“Look at your new home, Maxine!” Unfazed, Robin pointed with wide-eyed enthusiasm at the tiniest rundown log cabin in the middle of a disaster zone. Maxine did a double take. Well, it certainly did seem like a disaster at first sight. As if a hurricane had swept through the property. Maxine recalled pictures of her grandpa’s farm in its glory days; she had never imagined it to become this disheveled in a year without his upkeep. Rotting trees hunched near the farmhouse like old men. Weeds ran amok far in the distance, making the landscape patchy. The soil closer to the farmhouse was dry and barren – it looked as if even insects wouldn’t live there, let alone plants.

Even though her parents had tasked her with fixing up the farm (so they could use it as a family summer home, according to her bereft mother last fall), Maxine suddenly felt a tad bit over her head. She didn’t know the first thing about working on a farm! But then Maxine thought of the alternative, of what was waiting for her back home, if she changed her mind. Nothing. Nothing was waiting for her.

 

Last winter, in the wake of her grandfather’s death, she had rushed home from the city to comfort her mother, who was in such a bitter shock, that she had been nearly catatonic for days. And yet, despite the good intentions, when Maxine returned to her temp office position at International Enterprises, the world-renowned shipping conglomerate, she had only found herself terminated, effective immediately, because she had taken too many vacation days. And long-term boyfriend, Jesse Pao, of seven years and counting, had been less than supportive.

“Baby, you’ve got so much potential! Who cares about that whack-ass place?” he said, as he tapped distractedly at his Blackberry. As the head of IE’s sales department, Jesse was constantly on the phone. He was only second in command to the head of the entire company, the most capitalistic asshole in the entire world, multi-billionaire Benson Swan. And he relished in this fact. Relished it so much, that whatever “support” he offered Maxine was met with rolled eyes. She knew how thinly veiled his comments were. She knew how, no matter how much Jesse loathed being so busy, practically living at work, and handling so many people at once, he also loved it. And so, came the typical rolled eyes, and cajoling of her boyfriend to take her plight seriously.

“I am serious, babe,” Jesse said, without looking away from the phone screen. “You can do so much better. Who wants to be a temp for the rest of their lives anyway? It’s like…a waste of time.”

That comment had stung.

  
And so, by the rule of threes, Maxine then had to deal with a breakup of a seven-year long relationship. She couldn’t help but admit it hadn’t felt all too tragic, all things considering. First off, Jesse was right. She didn’t want to be a temp. But the emptiness that followed having no income or job was astoundingly, surprisingly profound. So much so, that shortly after, she found herself moving back into her childhood home, to the surprise of her retired parents.

“Hey, I know it’s not much,” Mayor Lewis said, cutting into Maxine’s thoughts, “but I promise you, with a bit of hard-work and grit, it’s going to be back to its beautiful old self again. Your grandfather used to have all these fruit trees along the west side…and flowers growing so abundantly the air was filled with its perfume…and such bountiful crops each season.” Mayor Lewis exhaled loudly, his eyes closed in contentment. “And every morning, when the sun rose…it hit that lake over there just right, and it really took your breath away…I really miss the guy.” He wiped a small tear away.

Robin patted Lewis on the back, shooting Maxine a look of empathy. “Anyway, we’re so happy you’re joining our community, hon. We absolutely adored your grandfather, if you can't already tell by Old Sentimental here. I know you’re going to make him proud, with what you’re doing! And you’ll fit right in! Come by any time you have questions, okay?”

“Sure,” Maxine said, smiling hesitantly at Robin. “Thank you so much.”

“I mean it! Anytime!” Robin insisted. “Rain or shine, day or night! Here’s my number. We’re neighbours; we have to look out for each other around here!”

Maxine nodded more emphatically this time, as Mayor Lewis dragged Robin away from the farm. “We’ve got some business to take care of in town. May as well leave you to settle in. Hope to see you around soon, Maxine. And welcome to the Valley.”

With one final wave, Maxine turned slowly to face the decrepit farmhouse. Left to her own devices for the first time, she inhaled deeply, the crisp spring air filling her lungs. She felt a sense of calm… and then the panic took over, for having upended her entire life so quickly. What had she been thinking??


	2. First impressions

A few days had passed since Maxine moved in. A few days of sheer and utter panic. Her boxes had arrived before herself, so unpacking became the priority. Eagerly, she filled the empty cabinets and closets with familiar clothes, books, dishes, and makeup. Some of her grandfather’s belongings lay in the corner, covered in dust, and it was with some sense of weirdness that Maxine pried the boxes apart, and pulled out some much-needed cutlery.

It was oddly comforting to be surrounded by material possessions of her old life. Especially since, out here, her phone wasn’t getting any reception. Sure, the rotary landline that Mayor Lewis had set up for her was intact. But all the same, her parents sounded tinny and acutely far away on the landline. Maxine made a mental note to ask the mayor about setting up her Internet/cellphone situation next time.

That wasn’t the only task she had to do. At the top of her list was figuring out how to renovate the farmhouse into something livable. Her parents had been super lax in their guidelines, telling her they trusted her completely. Because of her current state of unemployment, she was the ideal candidate to take some time – predictably a year – to get the place up and running again, so family could visit. “It would be nice to go back in the summer,” her mother had mused, uncharacteristically nostalgic. Despite being neither the oldest nor youngest, nor most favoured of Grandpa Hugo's children, Maxine's mother had been the one to inherit the farm. But she was too busy to help Maxine fix the farm - or so she said. Maxine's parents preened that there was little to be done, after all, what with how Grandpa Hugo had been able to manage the entire property, even as a solo resident and an elderly old man. And after all, she could always hire help from town, with the seed money her parents had provided.

Not that she was eager to do so. Go into town, that was. For the first time. But go to town she must. Unpacking was all but done, and she had run out of packaged noodles to eat (which she had snuck into her bag when her mom wasn’t looking). And so, it was with a very anxious heart that the introverted Maxine decided that today was the day she would go into town. To see the lay of the land. And to at least figure out where some real food was – dehydrated vegetables and ramen only tasted so good for so many meals! Maxine found herself craving real broccoli, luscious tomatoes, and crunchy celery, of all things. And fresh fruit! A juicy apple or something! Anything!

A little past 9 AM, Maxine awoke and dragged herself out of the creaky bed that Robin had set up before her arrival, and into the tiny washroom. After brushing her teeth, she meticulously applied her usual routine of makeup, and then went back to her room to contemplate an outfit. This was the First Impression outfit – it had to be good! Something casual, yet mature. Young. But conservative. Finally, she settled on a flowing white summer dress, with a denim jacket over it. The winter chill had only just disappeared, after all. Some white sneakers and hair tie loosely over her stick straight hair finished the ensemble. She donned her green backpack and looked herself over in the mirror one last time. “Everything is going to be alright,” she said to herself, for the thousandth time, as she finally approached the front door, ready to face the day.

“Bark, bark!” Maxine tripped backwards in surprise, as a furry golden retriever leapt at her. “Whoa there!”

“Oh! I’m sorry to scare you! Are you okay?” a female voice behind the dog yelled. The golden retriever reluctantly settled back on its legs as an eager-looking middle-aged woman hushed the dog. Maxine straightened her hair, as she eyed the woman with caution. She was dressed in a green and red ensemble, which reminded Maxine of Christmas.

“You must be Maxie,” the woman said, smiling toothily. “I’m Marnie! I live just south of you. Mayor Lewis came by and told me all about you, and I just had to come by and see for myself! Can’t believe Uncle Hugo’s legacy is going to continue after all. I tell you, when he passed, the whole town was in mourning for _weeks_. He just had such a big heart, you know? Well, of course you know. You’re his granddaughter! Anyway, sorry it’s so early. I’m opening up my shop for the day soon, so this was the only spare time.”

“H-hi,” Maxine said, finally, her heart still racing. “It’s Maxine actually. Nice to meet you.” She offered her hand, and Marnie happily shook it. “Who’s this little guy?”

“This is…a mystery actually. Not yours, is he? I ran into him on my way up here, and thought you might already be acquainted. But Lewis didn’t mention a dog...”

“No,” Maxine confirmed, “but he’s so cute.” She knelt down to offer her hand for the dog to smell. He licked it hesitantly, then barked and aimed for her face. “No collar?”

“Not that I could see.” Marnie laughed. “Nobody else in town has a dog, either. So he must be a stray.”

“Oh no! You don’t have a home? What are we going to do with you?” Maxine cooed in a higher tone as she fluffed the dog's ears. In the presence of a dog, Maxine’s usual anxiety around strangers melted away.

“The animal shelter’s hours away,” Marnie continued, “and I don’t think it has a good reputation, between you and me. I have a thought though – why don’t you keep him for now? He seems to really like you. And look, your front door already has a little doggie entrance! Granted, your grandfather was using them for the chickens.”

“Ah…I don’t know too much about taking care of dogs,” Maxine admitted. Her parents had never been keen on animals, claiming they weren’t compatible with her dad’s allergies. But she had caught him snuggling up to her aunt’s Pomeranian once! She thought it was more likely pets weren’t compatible with Mom’s penchant for pristine furniture.

“Don’t you worry! Dogs are super low maintenance. Well, except for the cleaning and feeding schedules and some good daily exercise. He needs some space to run around and tire himself out – which your farm is perfect for. Other than that, get him a good bed and food. Pierre should have everything in stock at his convenience store. And if he doesn’t…well, I suppose there’s always that supermarket at the far end of town…” Marnie scowled, seemingly lost in thought, but abruptly she shook her head and faced Maxine again. “Anyway, if you need any help with this one, let me know. I love animals. Only wish I could take him on too, but my house is pretty full.” She laughed.

“Other dogs?”

“Cows!” Marnie snorted. “And pigs, chickens, ducks, and two humans! My niece loves raising reptiles and bunnies too. I live on a ranch, you see,” Marnie added, noting Maxine’s surprised face. “You’ll see, anyway, when you come down to visit me. I sell some supplies too, though you won’t be having any barnyard animals for a while, will you?” Marnie gestured west, where derelict wooden frames hinted at a former barn.

“Probably not,” Maxine agreed, thinking of how she was only going to be here for a year, anyway. But she didn’t feel like getting into the whole story with this stranger, as nice as she was.

“Anyway, it was lovely to meet you, Maxine,” Marnie said, patting the dog’s head. “I’ve got to get to the store. Do come by sometime, for a cup of tea or advice about your farm. I’d be more than happy to help!”

Maxine thanked Marnie in return and watched her leave. The dog barked and wagged its tail but stayed lying on the porch next to Maxine. There went another person who was proving that the Valley was more than met the eye. Everyone was just so nice and welcoming. Maxine felt a familiar urge to crawl back into bed and try going to town tomorrow. She’d filled her socialization quota for the day. But she thought again of needing food. And now, looking down at the beady eyes of this golden retriever, she realized she had a newfound responsibility, someone who was dependent on her.

Maxine gave the dog a belly rub, smiling. “Because I love all things space-related, I’m going to call you…Sirius.” Sirius barked in response, then bounded down the stairs, out into the weedy fields. Maxine shouted after him, and was about to follow his tracks, but remembered what she had to do.

With steely resolve, she gave one last look at the farm, and the blur that was Sirius, and headed down the opposite path that led into town.

* * *

 

Her first impression of the town was…it was so _small_. Everything was within walking distance, with nary a car in sight. She thought she spotted an old pick-up truck near the Mayor’s house, but that was it. This did not deter Maxine from getting entirely disoriented, though, as soon as she left the farm. Sure, it had been a straight path down, but after that, everything was sort of…everywhere. It was still early in the morning, which Maxine thought was optimal to run into the least amount of people. Marnie had proved her wrong shortly after.

Even so, Maxine walked with relative confidence in her aloneness, until she nearly collided with someone in her trajectory.

“Watch where you’re going,” replied a gruff quiet voice.

Maxine stumbled backwards, feeling clumsy and embarrassed. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you there, honest. I was thinking on other things,” she said, fumbling over her words. She felt herself bowing slightly, with mortification. Was she in the medieval times or something? She may as well have curtsied. Her cheeks warmed as she straightened up again, forcing herself to meet the stranger’s eyes.

A man wearing a tattered blue hoodie, and a five o’clock shadow (even at this early hour) was staring hard at Maxine, scrutinizing her from head to foot. Despite the nastiness from his tone, his face seemed to express curiosity. She realized he was probably wondering who she was.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I’m Maxine, by the way. I just moved here. To the farm. Over there,” she said, gesturing vaguely behind her. Maxine offered her hand to him, to shake.

He merely looked at it, as if she had offered a cup of worms, then looked at her again. “I wasn’t asking.”

“Right,” Maxine said awkwardly. If she wasn’t embarrassed yet, this sealed the deal. “I just, well, sorry, then. Nice to meet you, anyway.”

“You apologize a lot,” the man said, as he turned away and continued his route.

Maxine gaped at his retreating back. So this was what it was going to be like, huh? Her first real encounter with someone had been bungled up for sure. God. What a place. What a chore it was to be social. She wanted so badly to race back to the farm, and crawl into bed. Call her mom to pick her up – as if it was sleepaway camp. But the two things remained true: she needed food for herself, and for Sirius. And a dog bed. Thirdly, she already forgot which way home was.

With dread, Maxine dragged onwards. She caught sight of a store called “Pierre’s” just past the town center. This was the place Marnie had mentioned. Maxine entered the glass door, and immediately knew that this was her paradise, her saving grace in the whole town. Or maybe she was just hungry.

Monuments of lush fruits and vegetables, as far as the eye could see. Ripe bananas, glistening apples, and plump strawberries were on display. The fresh avocados piled into a pyramid. The bouquets of deep green kale and broccoli, neatly lined up. And don’t even get her started on that basket of heavenly smelling baguettes! Maxine thought she was going to drool right then and there, as her mind raced through her repertoire of recipes. She grabbed a basket and started eagerly piling items.

One basket later, laden with produce familiar and novel, assorted cereals, fresh bread, and a bag of dog food, Maxine trudged over to the cashier’s counter. It was unoccupied. She looked around, realizing that she hadn’t seen a single soul since entering the store. It was probably too early to be grocery shopping – but then, why was the door unlocked? Maxine leaned forward, as if hoping the cashier would be crouching in the corner, and found nothing. Turning again to scan the store, Maxine jumped back in fright as she spotted a blonde middle-aged man poking his head out from behind the corner of an aisle, eyeing her. “God!” What was with these townspeople??

The man straightened up. “You’re new here,” he said, as he wiped his glasses on his shirt, then replaced them.

“Yeah,” Maxine snapped, then put her hand up as if apologizing. “I’m Maxine, nice to meet you. I just moved here this week.”

“I know who you are. Lewis sent out a memo,” the man replied, before disappearing again around the corner.

 _A memo??_ Maxine followed the man into the toiletries aisle, where he was stocking deodorants. She cleared her throat, after realizing he wasn’t going to say anything. “Is it okay if I check out now? I mean, if you’re free?”

The man nodded, and they backtracked once again to the cashier counter.

Maxine started piling her items onto the counter.

“I’m Pierre,” the man said simply, as he assessed her items. “You’ve got a lot of produce here.”

“What can I say? I love vegetables,” Maxine replied meekly. She was a vegan – what else was she going to eat?

“Are you trying to study them? Learn their secrets? What are your intentions here?” Pierre asked, suddenly suspicious.

“Uh.” Maxine was at a loss for words. “I’m thinking of a roasted veggie bowl, maybe? With a nice vinaigrette?”

“I mean with that farm of yours.”

“Oh. I’m, well, I guess I’m going to fix it up.”

“Your grandfather was a real stand up guy. Me and him, we used to get along well. We had a deal, you see. He bought my seeds and grew things back at that farm of his. But he knew what things to grow, you see. What was popular with the folks, what wasn’t going to fly when I had them right here in my shop too…What’s worth spending time on…Get the picture?”

“I get…” Maxine said, nodding slowly. She didn’t get. She didn’t get at all.

“It’s a small town, Maxine Kwang,” Pierre continued, his voice growing louder, “and if you cross one of the biggest producers here, you’re not going to make one single penny to see you through the season.”

Finally it dawned on Maxine that Pierre was threatened by her. Her! She’d never grown anything in her entire life! Well, except for that poor tulip in the third grade, for a Mother’s Day gift. It did not last long outside of strict observation and intervention from her classroom teacher. “I swear, I’m not here to take over your territory or whatever, I promise!” Maxine said, almost laughing in relief. “I just want to fix up my grandpa’s farm, maybe get the soil more...alive-looking. You’ve probably seen how it is now. It’s a total mess. I’m not trying to be the best producer in town or anything.”

This answer seemed to appease Pierre. His shoulders slackened, and he readjusted his glasses. “Good. Then maybe we can sort out our own deal. You can sell some of your stuff to me, like your grandpa did. I’ll give you a good price on them. It’s hard to be one of the few growing produce every season, anyway. In exchange, I can help you make sure your produce is doing well. Not better than me, mind you. But edible.”

“That sounds great,” Maxine said. “Actually, could I get a few seeds now? I’ll try to get started as soon as I can.”

“You’ll want to till the soil and put in some fertilizer to get it ready. Check out the shed behind your house. All your grandpa’s old tools should be in there. Let me know if you need any help,” Pierre said, as he bagged Maxine’s purchases. “How are you liking the town so far? Met a lot of people?”

Maxine grinned to herself at this suddenly more talkative Pierre now that he had eliminated her as a competitor. “Yeah, I’ve met a couple of people. Marnie came by this morning. Mayor Lewis and Robin were the ones who picked me up from the bus station. That was nice of them. And then, um, there was this one guy earlier…”

“Mhm,” Pierre said absentmindedly, continuing to scan and bag items.

“He was sort of mean. I mean, well, maybe he just wasn’t a morning person? Like…I was introducing myself and he kind of ignored me,” Maxine said, trying to downplay the situation.

“Oh, don’t mind Shane. He’s always like that,” Pierre responded.

 _So that was his name._ “Oh!” Maxine caught sight of the dog food in Pierre’s arm. “Before I forget, do you know where I can get a dog’s bed around here?”

Pierre paused. “We don’t stock those here.”

“My neighbour said that there’s another supermarket. Could you point –” Maxine froze, taking in Pierre’s near-pained expression. Had she said the wrong thing?

“Yes, you’re right.” He coughed, rubbing his eyes again. “They’re kind of the corporate competition around here, threatening my Mom-and-Pop store, you see.”

“Oh.” Maxine knew all too well the power of corporations, having worked for a mega conglomerate only months ago. Small businesses hardly stood the chance when these corporations set their sights on them and threw money for them to go away.

“Yes. So it’d be ill-advised of me to tell you to go over there, isn’t it?” Pierre asked wryly. He eyed Maxine for a long moment. “Tell you what: how about I put in a call and get a dog bed shipped over here? You can pick it up when it’s in. And I’ll give you a good price on it.”

Maxine thought about the severe lack of funds in her wallet. And that, economically speaking, it wasn’t smart to just buy something without comparing prices elsewhere first. But Pierre seemed like he needed this. “Okay, sure.”

“You’ll have it in by the end of the week, trust me,” Pierre said, almost pleading. “I’ve got a great supplier. And I’ll even throw in a coupon for you, when you need to stock up on dog food.”

That sealed the deal. Maxine smiled. “Thanks for all your help. Truly.”

“Any time. You seem like a nice girl. About the same age as my daughter, Abigail. She’s out right now but you’ll probably see her around town. Anyway. It’s a small town, so we must look out for each other. Don’t forget that. Have a nice day and tell me how your progress goes!”

Maxine waved goodbye, as she exited the store. Now this interaction was more like it! With renewed confidence (and lots of food), she decided to continue walking through town, and see what else it had to offer.


	3. Chance encounters

Early in the evening, Maxine found herself walking briskly through a cool rainfall, cursing that she hadn’t seen this coming. But how could she, with no TV or internet? What had started as a beautiful cloudless morning had turned into torrential downpour, with no relief in sight. Thankfully, all her food shopping was done, supplies for her new dog roommate were tucked in her backpack, and Maxine had even had a rustic lunch by the beach. The fresh baguette had been amazing with baby heirloom tomatoes, a sprig of basil, and some creamy rich hummus. No, she had not been sad to sit alone out there. It had just been nice to look out at the sea and let the acceptance of her current state wash over her metaphorically and physically.

But the relaxing had been rudely interrupted by this sudden outpour of rain. Quickly gathering her belongings, Maxine headed back across the bridge that led into town, trying to ignore the way her feet slopped in her soaked sneakers.

As soon as she crossed the bridge, Maxine was forced to stop. Despite spending half a day in town, she still had a hard time recognizing exactly which way was salvation. The bridge led out onto three paths. Maxine wracked her brain, trying to recognize which path was familiar and which was foreign. The darkened sky and minimal street lamps, however, did not help. She knew her farm was westward. But which way was west? Was it left? And was this even the fastest path? When in doubt, follow the river? Maxine briskly turned left, hoping decisiveness was enough to guide her home. She hardly registered the loud yelling behind her, until BAM!

“OW!” Maxine was on her back, the contents of her bag scattered to the ground. She stared up at the sky, blinking away raindrops and tears. Groaning, she slowly pulled herself to her elbows, to see what had happened. A short distance away, another figure lay on his back. She could hear him swearing under his breath. Then, all too suddenly, he leapt gracefully onto his feet, and picked up the skateboard that lay between them. He then decided to take notice of Maxine.

“Hey, in my defense, I did yell for you to watch out,” the guy said, offering his hand to her.

Maxine studied the hand – the long fingers with calluses, and a dull gold band on his thumb – and grudgingly took it. “Is that your idea of an apology, because no thank you. And, hello, I can barely hear anything with this rain! Let alone see you!” Back on her feet, Maxine could finally see the speaker clearly. He was almost a head taller than her, with long dark blonde hair, slicked back from the rain. He had dark brown eyes, and a dimple on his left cheek that showed up as he smirked down at her.

“Well, aren’t you Little Miss Sunshine?” He started to pick up the items that had fallen out of Maxine’s bag, and she hurried to help him, wanting to get home as fast as possible. To get out of the rain, away from this stranger. “I really am sorry, though. Are you hurt?” he then asked.

As they both squatted on the ground, in such close proximity as they both reached for the fallen avocado, it was impossible for Maxine not to stare at the faint little freckles on the stranger’s face. She could have counted them if she wanted to. She shook her head, blushing slightly as she considered how long it had been since she had interacted with a new guy. Not that she wasn’t already nervous around guys anyway! But this abrupt level of intimacy – his body spray permeating her personal bubble – it was too much. “What about you?” Maxine asked, trying to keep her cool.

“I’m fine. Comes with the territory,” he said, looking modest. “Of skateboarding, I mean,” he added, noting Maxine’s confused expression.

She murmured some thanks as he passed her a bruised apple, and continued stuffing each item haphazardly into her backpack, hardly caring about their fit, nor how wet and muddy everything was. The poor baguette was being squished at the bottom. Rain continued to fall heavily from the skies, and her clothes clung uncomfortably to her skin. _I need a shower after this shower._

“Listen, if you want, I can help you get to where you’re going. Are you visiting someone? One of Leah’s friends? Or another of Marnie’s charges?”

Maxine shook her head. “No, I live up at the farm. I’m Hugo Lang’s granddaughter.”

The stranger gaped at her. “Y-you’re the new farmer. You? But I thought –” He seemed to catch himself mid-sentence and burst into laughter. It all but confirmed her suspicion that he had expected some big hulking guy, someone who wouldn’t look out of place next to a giant tractor and a cow.

It was probably her height. And the fact that she was staring up to talk to him. And the fact that the farm was in a total state of disarray and it was a total fool’s errand to try to get it up and running with absolutely no experience let alone knowledge of farming and _oh my god, what am I doing here?_ Maxine didn’t want to have another crisis in front of this stranger. She turned to walk away.

“I’m sorry, come back,” the stranger said, lightly tapping Maxine’s arm. “Nobody new ever shows up around here. I'm just surprised. Let me help you, please. To make up for all that.” He gestured at her dirt-stained white dress. The poor white dress. “I got a bike at my house, and I swear, I am much more careful riding that than my skateboard.”

The rain wasn’t likely to let up. And Maxine had a hard enough time figuring out where “west” was. “Well, alright, if it’s not too much trouble. Really, I mean, I’d be fine walking too.”

But the stranger persisted and nodded towards a nearby house. “Trust me, this’ll be much faster. I live right down there. And from the looks of it, you were going the wrong way anyway,” he said, that huge grin appearing across his face again.

“What? No, I wasn’t!” Maxine protested, knowing full well that she wasn’t even half sure where she had been going. But she didn’t want to give this stranger the satisfaction of being right; he seemed like he would have enjoyed that too much.

“This way,” he gestured left, “leads to my house, Marnie’s ranch, and then the Cindersap Forest. If you kept going, you would have been lost to the woods all night. And not a lot of people hang out over there, too. If you went down this way,” he pointed north, “it’ll be the town center, and then a straight shot down to your house. No time at all. Let’s get my bike, I’ll show you. We’ll be home in ten minutes flat.”

Maxine didn’t even bother to protest. She was too busy trying to memorize what the guy had said. She pushed back wet strands of her dark hair and resigned herself to following him. In moments, they were standing in front of a small blue house with a dark red roof. The stranger peered into the lit-up front window, then ducked quickly as a shadow appeared behind the curtains.

“Let’s go through the back,” he hissed, pulling Maxine’s arm down, so that she was squatting behind him. Maxine wondered at the growing absurdity of this situation, as the stranger then started to squat-scuttle his way around the corner, looking back at intervals to see if she was following. He disappeared, and Maxine had no choice but to heed his silent instructions.

The rain continued, accompanied now by loud cackles of thunder. On the other side of the house, the stranger had placed his skateboard against the wall, and climbed onto a sleek black bicycle. He patted the back seat, and Maxine clambered on behind him, readjusting her dress. “Are you sure this is a good idea?” she asked, but the stranger was already pedaling. She quickly placed her hands against his shoulder, trying not to think of the last physical contact she had with anyone that wasn’t family. Or Jesse.

Faster and faster, they skidded their way down the cobblestone paths, passing a few dark figures that Maxine couldn’t make out in the darkness. Maxine tried to contain her squeals, until the stranger made a sharp left turn. He laughed at the sound. “Sorry! We’re almost there,” he yelled back. They continued down a dirt path, mud and puddles splashing beside them. Past the bus stop, past the wooden signs…the rain plundered down faster and faster, but it made no difference to Maxine.

Not a minute sooner, they had reached her porch. The stranger skidded to a grinding halt, his foot acting as the brake. Maxine ungracefully hopped off the back seat, and slicked back her hair. “So, thanks for that,” she said nervously, and met his eyes again. They briefly made direct eye contact, and Maxine wondered at the sudden look of bewildered amusement across his face.

“No problem. See you around sometime, hey?” The stranger reoriented his bike back the way they had come and replaced his feet on the pedals. With a small wave, he kicked off against the dirt.

“What’s your name, by the way?” Maxine yelled at his retreating back.

“Sam!”

Inside, Maxine peeled off her sneakers, and tiptoed to her closet for some fresh clothes. She didn’t even care about the puddles she was making along the way. They were nothing compared to all the muddy paw prints leading to one snoozing Sirius in the kitchen. Grinning to herself, Maxine headed for the washroom. A warm shower after being in the rain the last half hour was the sole focus now. She looked in the mirror, only to find that the rain had completely ruined her makeup, resulting in two dark grey lines running down her cheeks. Her face warmed as she wondered what Sam had thought, staring at her!

But Maxine wasn’t going to go there. She refused to think of him, with his hair all mussed up, water dripping down his face…or that look of mischief that never left his eyes. No! Maxine shivered and tapped at her cheeks repeatedly. She knew how troublesome her heart was, always falling hard and fast. Fickle, greedy thing!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and so the slow burn begins for poor maxine...mwhahhaa


	4. Intrigue

The next time Maxine saw Sam, it was a week later, and Maxine was craving a salad. For the first time in her life. Her mother would be so proud.

On a sunny spring morning, Maxine ventured to Pierre’s convenience store, in the brightest of moods. She had successfully planted her first batch of seeds a few days ago, and little green leaves were already sprouting. She’d walked Sirius and cleared up most of the weeds on the farm. It had been a good day so far.

As soon as she entered, Maxine caught sight of a display of leafy dark green kale, piled high into a pyramid. She zoomed right over, already imagining roasting them into chips later. Overhead, Maxine pulled the plastic bag dispenser, and happened to glance outside the window. Just then, a figure sped past. Maxine barely registered the blue jacket and blonde hair, nor her sudden heart palpitations, before the blur returned. Maxine quickly scrambled away from the window, and moved to the next produce section, just as the bell over the door jingled.

“Sup, farmer?” Sam shot Maxine a broad grin, as he approached her. His hair was shockingly pale blonde, and much tamer now that it wasn’t soaked through with rain. It looked much better. Or did it? Just about equal? Yeah.

“Huh? H-hi,” Maxine stammered, backing into the potato display.

“Don’t knock those over!” Pierre yelled from the cash register.

“What’s with the guilty look on your face? Were you spying on me?” Sam laughed.

“Of COURSE not! Why would I ever do that?”

“You don’t have to hide it. I know I’m a pretty attractive guy,” Sam said, flexing a bicep.

Maxine could not help but stare at the bicep…then quickly turned around and walked away, down the aisle, towards something, anything, to regain her senses. “I’ve seen better,” she forced herself to say, though her mind was empty of any examples.

Sam feigned shock, clutching at his chest. “You wound me! And here I thought you were a nice person.”

“I’m nice to people I know,” Maxine retorted with a lot more confidence than she actually felt.

“What? You and me, we know each other! We go way back. What was it, a week ago today? There you were, in the rain, a damsel in distress. There I was, the gallant knight riding up on his skateboard…”

“We really have different memories of that night,” Maxine scoffed. “I was so not a damsel in distress.”

“Uh huh…so you could’ve gotten home just fine without me?”

“Yes, I could’ve saved myself,” Maxine said defiantly, as she stared fixedly at some boxes stacked in the aisles. She picked one up haphazardly, pretending to read the fine print.

“Maybe If the sun had come out.” Sam laughed. “I gotta get to work. Good luck with your bald spots. I think Uncle George uses the same product. See ya!”

Maxine finally looked up, and waved confusedly at Sam, then looked down at the box in her hand. Rogaine! That cream for male pattern baldness! Ugh! She shoved it back onto the shelf, muttering obscenities to herself. That guy was seriously getting under her skin, in the least essential way right now! She didn’t like looking dumb, especially when she was trying to establish herself as a reliable and cool independent farmer lady. Yet here was this guy who came two feet towards her, and her whole self perceptibly flinched, words and thoughts entirely lost to her.

But amidst the disturbed sensation, there was another strange flickering feeling, like suddenly the brightness of the day had dimmed now. Maxine wondered then if she should’ve been nicer – just thanked him for helping her the other day and asked how he was. Maybe it could’ve been a nice, normal human interaction – the start of a friendship even! But instead she had felt the need to be defiant, to keep up with him. She watched as, outside, Sam hopped expertly onto his skateboard, and winked at her through the window, before skating out of view. Her heart leapt.

“Don’t mind that boy; he’s always been trouble.”

Maxine turned to see Pierre standing beside her, peering down through his glasses. He reached over and straightened the box on the shelf, in line with the others. “I, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she muttered indignantly.

Pierre raised an eyebrow.

“Okay. I do know. Maybe. A little.” Maxine sighed, her shoulders slackening. “It’s just, I just got out of a long-term relationship, and I have the worst track record when it comes to boys. Especially good-looking ones with dimples. I mean, it’s not like I’m trying to get a new guy, but I haven’t felt like this in ages, and that guy is just so…he’s so…and the dimples…” Maxine grasped for the right word, before remembering where she was. “Agh, don’t listen to me! I didn’t mean to garbage dump all over you! I mean, you’re you. I mean, not that you’re not cool to talk to, you’re super cool, the NICEST, I just –”

Pierre chuckled. “You sound just like Abigail. Anyway, don’t get all fussed up about him.” He sighed. “He may cause some trouble sometimes – especially with the Mayor – but he means well. I wouldn’t approve of Abigail being friends with him if I knew otherwise.”

Maxine perked up at the sound of this. “So, he’s okay?”

“His head is definitely screwed on backwards some days. But yes, he is okay,” Pierre conceded. “He’s had it rough growing up. Father overseas on assignment since he was a kid, and his mother’s working constantly. They moved to the Valley when Sam was about 15 or so, when his mother got laid off in the city. Had to cut back on expenses, you see. And since then, Sam’s been trying to help his mom save up, so they can move back. He’s a good kid. Works hard. Takes care of his brother.” By the time Pierre finished talking, his voice was low and solemn. He coughed loudly, breaking the tension. “Well, get on with your shopping. I don’t have all day, you know.” With that, he returned to his spot behind the counter.

Maxine processed all this new information. Sam was no longer just a golden-haired boy with seemingly boundless energy. Now he was someone with responsibility, who helped his family when they needed it, who was a good brother and son, and had Pierre’s reluctant stamp of approval…And so, despite her mind fighting her heart, the mystery beckoned…

 


	5. A warning

At 5 PM, Sam clocked out of work, and left Joja Mart with great relief. It had been too long a day. His muscles ached from lifting so many boxes off the delivery trucks, ripping them open, marking each with stickers, and stacking them…the endless stacking

He shook his head to get the image out and let his mind wander back to the indie rock music blasting through his earphones. He had already strapped his skateboard to his bookbag and changed out of his work uniform. The sun was beating brightly in the early evening glow, and his mom had stopped by earlier to pick up pizza for dinner. Everything in his life was, at least at that moment, good.

Once across the bridge towards the town center, Sam decided to drop by Pierre’s convenience store, to see if his best friend was free. The bell rang as the door opened, and Sam spotted Abigail stocking the shelves. “Hey, Ab!”

“Finally!” A purple-haired 23-year-old girl perked up at the sound of Sam’s voice, and tossed the remainder of fruit cups from her arms, into a box on the floor. “I’ve been dying for a drink! Call up Seb; he should be done work by now too.”

“Abigail! My fruit cups!” Pierre yelled from the counter.

“Hey, sir!” Sam greeted.

Pierre scowled in response and pointed at his counter. “Son, you get over here!”

Sam exchanged a look with Abigail, before stepping forward.

“Now, you listen here, son. You are NOT to get that farmer in any sort of trouble, you understand? She seems like a nice young girl and doesn’t need to get all caught up in any of your…” Pierre waved his hands around, “hooliganism.”

“My what?” Sam started laughing.

“Just last month, you skated over Lewis’s begonias,” Pierre continued, “AGAIN! How many times does he have to remind you to not skate on the fences? Maxine’s got enough on her plate to deal with. Don’t distract her.”

So that was her name, Sam thought, momentarily distracted.

“Oooh,” Abigail yelped, racing over, “you met the new farmer? Why didn’t you tell me, Sam! What did she look like? Ohh, I told you that Tarot card “The Traveler” in your reading last month was accurate!”

Sam rolled his eyes at Abigail, then faced Pierre again. “And to what do I owe this lovely and uncalled-for reprimand?” he asked with exaggerated, albeit amused courtesy.

Pierre only had to stare pointedly at Sam before the charade was dropped. He should’ve known better to be teasing the farmer earlier that morning, in front of Pierre of all people! For as long as Sam and Abigail had been friends, Pierre had been like an uncle figure to him. For better or worse, he always kept an eye on Sam.

“I promise I have the best and most innocent of intentions,” Sam stated solemnly, holding his hand to his chest.

“And what exactly are these ‘intentions’, pray tell?” Abigail stage-whispered.

“You know…friends…” Sam ad-libbed. His cool exterior was beginning to fade under the heated scrutiny of Pierre, and the sudden hooting from Abigail.

“You're blushing so hard, Sam!” Abigail sang. “I wonder why?"

“Don’t play with her heart, Sam,” Pierre said sternly.

“I deny all such accusations,” Sam responded. “I am innocent in all wrong-doings. I am going to casually remove myself from this conversation now,” he continued, backing away, “skate home, have dinner, and go to bed. As usual. Because life is the same routine every day. Goodbye.” He quickly ran out the door.

Abigail, however, was in hot pursuit. Outside, she just barely grasped his sleeve, preventing his escape. “You owe me details!”

Sam groaned, and cursed under his breath. “If you promise not to be so…you…then I will share. A morsel. Then you can find out the rest when you meet her. And so can I, since I don’t even know her. Really.”

But his casual tone didn’t seem to shake Abigail. Her dark brown eyes brightened even more, as she mimed crossing her heart and zipping her lips.

“Okay. Well, where do I start?” If he were honest with himself, Sam had been wanting to talk to someone all week about this new stranger in town. A mention of meeting her had not brought forth much information from his mom, and he hadn’t seen the farmer since. Until that morning in the convenience store. Before then, he had started to think he had dreamt the entire encounter, if it hadn’t been for hearing the occasional mention of the new farmer, around town. He could still recall how surprised and relieved he felt that morning, seeing her through the window of Pierre’s shop.

“Hello? Are you going to tell me or what?” Abigail prodded, shaking Sam’s arm lightly.

“Just getting my thoughts together, geez,” Sam said, feigning annoyance to hide his embarrassment.

“So, her name is Maxine…”

“Her name is Maxine…” Sam repeated, more to himself than Abigail. He hadn’t imagined her to be a ‘Maxine’.

Abigail laughed.

“What are you laughing about?? Don’t tell me. Anyway. Picture this: dark brown hair. Almost black. She’s short. Has a very unique…” he started to smile as he gestured in the air, seeking the word, “Face. Funny character. Like a dorky kind of funny. She’s – what?” He glanced at Abigail, who was doubled over in laughter.

“Sam, are you sure you’re not halfway in love with her already? Because it 100% sounds like it.”

Sam blushed, shaking his head adamantly. “Of course not! I mean, just because I can appreciate a person’s aesthetics, doesn’t mean I want to get with them!”

“Right,” Abigail said, “because someone’s sense of humour counts as aesthetic beauty. It doesn’t at all sound like you’ve already fallen head over heels for this person you barely know. And now you’re definitely not waiting for her to return your feelings, so you can get married and live happily ever after! Are you going to be a farmer too?”

“Again, I’d like to repeat, no. You know I’ve got rock star in my destiny,” Sam said, doubling his pace homebound. He’d had enough of this conversation. “I’m just intrigued, that’s all. Nobody moves to the Valley for no reason.”

“Alright, then. At least tell me how you met.”

“Soo it was last Monday, right outside the bridge by Mayor Lewis’s. Around 4 PM…it was still raining, and –” Sam couldn’t finish his story before Abigail had burst out laughing again. He ignored her the rest of the way home.

* * *

 “I’ve got news!” Abigail chirped into her cellphone. She was laying in bed, after having spent a few hours at Sam’s house, grilling him for more details of the new farmer. He had finally kicked her out when she brought up suggestions for what song to play, for their first dance as newlyweds. Now laying on her stomach, methodically painting her nails, Abigail was eager to share with her other best friend.

“Hey, Ab. What news?” the deep male voice on the other line asked.

“Sam’s in l-o-o-o-v-e!” Abigail sang. “And it’s with the mysterious new farmer! The one that moved to Uncle Hugo’s old place! Seb, you have GOT to ask Sam for details! It’s the most hilarious thing ever to watch him struggle, but he cut me off before getting to the good stuff! For no reason either! I only said that the Backstreet Boys had a far better wedding catalog than N Sync.”

Sebastian let out a low whistle. “That’s debatable. Didn’t the farmer move a couple weeks ago? How is this even possible?”

“Well, the way they met was such a rom-com meet-cute. So, it was definitely written in the stars. How romantic is it to bump into each other in the rain, and then walk her home?? The way he talked about it, I swear he was done for already.”

“Walking her home? That doesn’t sound like much.”

“It was more of the way he described it,” Abigail said confidently. “Trust me.”

“Nah. You know Sam. Gets all goo-goo then dumps them a month later. What else is new?” Sebastian yawned.

“Come on. That was just a phase. I really think it’s different this time. I mean, he denies it completely, but he was going on about what a funny personality she had. And all the while, he was, like, lit up from within. You know how pregnant women get that glow? He had something like that.”

“A pregnancy glow,” Sebastian said, deadpan. "Are you sure he wasn't just sweaty from work?"

“Shut up, Seb,” Abigail said, hanging up the phone. She had enough of these boys not taking anything seriously for once.

* * *

 “Sam…”

“This is a suspiciously timed call from my best friend,” Sam responded, into his cell.

“I heard about your newest friend,” Sebastian said, laughing already.

Sam knew that Abigail had a big mouth, and that she would take all of zero seconds to spread the news. Gossip spread like wildfire in this town, and a huge reason why was one mischievous purple-haired best friend. “Must everyone be up in my business?”

“Yes,” Sebastian said. Sam could hear click-clacking in the background, a telltale sign that his friend was working on a programming assignment for his latest contractor. “You know nothing else goes on in this dead-end town. Your business is all we have to live for.”

“Ha-ha.”

“Seriously, dude…tell me. Abby said you were getting all worked up.”

“It’s nothing! She’s just… I don’t know. Doesn’t matter. Like I said to Abby several times, I am not trying to make a pass at her. My mom just heard that she moved here on her own, didn’t know anybody or anything about farming. Just thought I would be a friend. That’s all. Make her feel welcome.”

“Well. If you think she’s cool, and has good music taste, then I can’t wait to meet her.”

“Don’t know what kind of music she likes, but yeah…” Sam paused. “I wonder if she’s going to the spring dance next week.”

“You’re not going to invite her, are you? What about Penny?”

“I wasn’t…” Sam said, trailing off. His friend knew him too well.

“Her mom would kill you if you ditched Penny, ha. You really want to get on Aunt Pam’s bad side?” Sebastian lectured, jokingly.

Sam merely sighed and nodded, though he knew his friend couldn’t see that. The spring dance was a time-honoured tradition in the Valley – one of several, in fact. And after almost a decade of the same line-up, there was going to be a lot of confusion and fuss if Sam suggested a change. Especially considering it was Penny. Sam wasn’t about to get in trouble with her mom, let alone Mayor Lewis, after his recent kerfuffle about the begonias…

“If she’s worth the trouble…” Sebastian said, interjecting Sam’s thoughts.

“Nah. Whatever. I doubt the farmer’s going to show up for a dinky dance anyway.”

“Too true,” Sebastian agreed.


	6. Flower dance

“So today is the day. I know you’re still getting your bearings, and may not feel like going, but at least me try to persuade you. It’s going to be a great opportunity for you to socialize and meet all the people you haven’t met yet!"

“Oh, Robin…I just…have so much work to do today,” Maxine said into the phone, twirling the cord around her fingers as she paced her kitchen. It was early one morning, a few weeks since her arrival, and Maxine had to admit – she had still not gotten used to living at the farm. The way the sunlight aggressively shone in her face and woke her each morning served as constant reminder that she had yet to get curtains and make this place feel like home. But unlike all the other mornings in which she wrestled mentally with the idea of sleeping in, or getting up to putter about the fields, the landline had been ringing.

To her surprise, it had been Robin, her neighbour from the mountains, suggesting she attend the local town event. A dance, of all things. Maxine hated to lie, especially to someone as nice as Robin, but the truth was, she was completely intimidated by the idea of going into town on such a festive day. And for a dance.

“Don’t be silly! It’s a Saturday! You should be relaxing!” Robin responded. “Lewis told me that you’ve been toiling away for weeks now at your land, and it’s starting to shape up. Come on, you deserve a day off. What other plans do you have today?”

“Um.” Maxine felt the familiar panic rising in her chest. What else did farmers do?? “Spending time with my pigs...? You know…combing fur…” Did pigs even have fur? What did farmers do with their pigs??

Robin’s high-pitched laugh suddenly came through the phone. “Maxine, you are too funny! That barn of yours is in no condition to have any animals, let alone pigs! There’s plenty of time before the dance to do what you have to do, but at noon, I expect to see you at Cindersap Forest, okay? It’s just past Marnie’s ranch. And I promise I will personally introduce you to everyone. Or, if you prefer, my son might agree to do it!”

At the mention of having someone by her side at all times, Maxine felt her panic slowly subside. Robin seemed to know just what had been bothering her. Maybe that was maternal instinct. “Okay…thanks Robin. So…what do I wear?”

A few hours later, Maxine had consulted enough with Robin to muster an outfit of sorts. She hadn’t brought much in the way of formal wear – just boxes and boxes of casual attire, sweat pants, cliché overalls, and loose shirts. But, being a city girl at heart, she also had a box full of impractical and fashionable pieces that made her feel good in her skin. And she stubbornly refused to part with them, even if she hadn’t expected opportunities to wear them. But here she was, wearing one such outfit: a cropped off-white top with a self-tying bow in back, paired with a long, lightly striped white skirt that had a side slit. Paired with some white ballet shoes, Maxine felt it was appropriately spring-like, for the similarly titled Spring Dance. She even donned a fragile dandelion crown atop her braided hair, which had been carefully arranged by hands fueled from childhood memories.

With one last nervous belly rub to Sirius, Maxine was ready. She knew why her heart was jumping dangerously up and down: her introversion was getting the best of her. There was acute anticipation of meeting all the new people, making small talk, and wondering if she was going to disappoint them, not meet their expectations of her. She had already surprised many others by being a short girl with no farming knowledge, and had keenly felt their doubts in her plan to rejuvenate the farm. Every day she wondered if she was doing the right thing. And so, to bring herself into the fray of public judgment and curiosity, and to be expected to possibly participate…it was more than enough for Maxine to want to stay in bed and curl up under the covers. But deep down, there was also a tiny voice within that said Maxine wanted to be a part of the community, especially if she was to stay for the foreseeable future. She wanted to be liked, at least a little. And so, if it meant showing up, and trying to socialize, at least for a few hours, then so be it.

“Wish me luck,” Maxine murmured, forcing herself to say goodbye to Sirius. She shut the door without looking back and began the long unpaved trek, south of her house. Sooner than she hoped, Maxine’s ears began to pick up strains of music and chattering voices.

A large clearing stood in the middle of the forest, with the surrounding trees decorated entirely with flowers and colourful streamers. Pierre was in the corner, behind a booth. Townspeople mingled in scattered groups, the excitement palpable in the air. Many were dressed in white or floral prints, while a small handful donned blue shirts and pants. At one end of the clearing, there was a short wooden stage, atop of which stood a trio, each playing an instrument. Maxine was surprised to realize that the lead guitarist and singer, currently crooning an acoustic version of a familiar pop song, was none other than Sam. Behind him on drums sat a purple-haired woman, and on the second guitar was a black-haired and the only fully black-clothed male. Children danced merrily in front of the stage.

Maxine fiddled with her hands, wondering at where to start in this picture of festivity. But she didn’t have to worry much longer, as a slender arm suddenly linked into her own.

“Hello, dear, who are you?”

A petite young blonde woman with dazzling blue eyes and the puffiest white dress looked up to Maxine with scrutiny. Maxine recovered her surprise quickly – here was her first “test” of the day!

“Hi, I’m Maxine. I’m the new farmer up at –”

“You’re the farmer!” the woman shrieked. “How did I not hear of this? Everyone said it was going to be a new guy! And here I was holding my breath for my future husband to come sweep me off my feet!” She pouted, then tightened her grip on Maxine’s arm.

“I’m Haley. I’m the beloved darling of the Valley, former homecoming queen, prom queen, valedictorian of my class. The most fashionable most stylish, most popular so-and-so. You know. Queen bee and all that.”

 _Was this girl serious?_ Maxine smiled weakly in response. “Well. Doesn’t look like you’re still in high school,” she responded, then widened her eyes and clamped her lips together in shock. _Why the HELL did I just say that???_

But Haley only laughed. “It’s definitely been a few years. But nobody’s going to forget my reign any time soon! Anyway, today I’m going to be the Flower Queen, so you’d better not try to steal my glory, even if you are new.”

“Don’t worry. I don’t even know what a Flower Queen is,” Maxine said, trying to lighten the mood and appease Haley after what she had just said.

“Good! Hm, you’d be a lot prettier if you wore makeup,” Haley said, scrutinizing Maxine’s face.

“I…am.” Maxine didn’t know whether to be insulted or flattered.

“Oh! Well then.” Haley’s face was unreadable. “I’m going to powder my nose one last time; the dance will start any minute now!” With that, she rushed off, already rifling through her white handbag.

Maxine shook her head and decided she needed a drink – if they even had these here! She walked over to Pierre’s stand, eager to see a familiar face.

“Morning, Maxine!” Pierre greeted, more chipper than usual. “Glad you could make it. See what I have to offer today – they’re only sold at this event each year.”

“Wow!” Maxine perused the packets of seeds, noting that there were a variety of strawberry seeds marked “SPECIAL” everywhere. “Are these any good?”

“Oh, they’re not only good, they’re AMAZING. I’m sure even a new farmer such as you can easily plant these and get one or two shrubs that could almost rival my own. Here, a sample of my latest batch. First one’s on the house.” Pierre handed Maxine a small cup of deep red strawberries, which Maxine gratefully accepted.

She bit into the first one, and her senses were taken by surprise. The freshness and sweetness of the berry were unlike anything she had ever tasted in her life. “Five packets, please.”

Pierre was all smiles as they exchanged money, and he even gave Maxine some tips to get her started. “Even though we are technically competition, I think I love strawberries more. So, from one farmer to another, make sure you plant these as soon as possible tonight, or you won’t see more than one harvest this season. And bring some over when you do; I’ll give you a good price for them!”

Maxine thanked Pierre profusely, promising to heed his advice, and abruptly bumped into Robin as she turned away. “Robin! Have you tried these strawberries?”

“Maxine, I’m so glad you’re here! And you followed my instructions to a T! You look wonderfully spring-like.”

“Thank you,” Maxine said, flushing at the compliment. She feigned an exaggerated curtsy. “So…I’m going to go ahead and say already that I’m happy I didn’t miss today.”

“That’s the spirit! Like I said, this is one of the best times to get to meet everyone, since we’re all gathered here. And you can really see what our community is all about.”

“Yeah. Looks like you guys really value tradition and celebrate nature. I mean, these strawberries alone can attest to that…”

“You can see now why Pierre’s is so popular, even if his prices can be ridiculous! Speaking of people, there’s my son coming over now!” Robin waved wildly at the black-haired man who had been on the stage with Sam and was now walking over. Maxine suddenly realized there had been an absence of live music for a while.

The young man stopped beside Robin. His black hair was buzzed short on one side, and long on the other. Dressed in black slacks and a button-up black shirt, Maxine could only imagine what he was feeling, under the intense afternoon sun. He did a double-take of Maxine, and paused for a second, before turning to Robin. “Mom, have you see Maru? My guitar needs a tune-up.”

“Hey, come on, we’ve got company. Were you raised in a barn?” Robin smiled sweetly and nodded towards Maxine. “Maxine, this is Sebastian, my very polite son. I think you’re about the same age. Maxine just moved into Uncle Hugo’s old farm.”

“Nice to meet you,” Maxine said, hesitantly offering her hand. The thought occurred to her that she was being overly formal to someone just as young as her, but Sebastian didn’t seem to mind as he shook her hand.

“Same,” he replied. “Really sorry but I gotta get my guitar fixed before the next song. I’ll see you later.” With that, Sebastian left, quickly shoving a hand into his pocket.

Maxine waved goodbye and turned to Robin. “He seems nice.”

“I think he likes you! That was the most I’ve seen him talk in months!” Robin said, staring in awe at her son, as he retreated into the crowd.

Maxine could only smile in response, wondering if the compliment was in jest, considering their interaction had been all of five seconds.

“I’ll be right back, okay? I’m just going to find my daughter, or else Seb will be back to hound me. Then I’ll come find you, and we can go on with the introductions! Sound good?” Robin was already walking away, before Maxine could register that she was being ditched.

The high feeling Maxine had been riding was starting to crash down as she watched Robin disappear. Alone, she felt suddenly exposed, as if everyone could now see she was the newcomer, the outsider, the stranger. She contemplated running for the washrooms (if they even had any set up around here), but suddenly there was a tap on her shoulder. Maxine jumped, and looked over her shoulder.

It was Sam. Of course. Tall broad-shouldered Sam, decked out in form-flattering navy blue slacks, a light blue button-up, with a black bow tie already hanging loose around his neck. His blonde hair looked like bedhead that had battled and lost to hair gel. And he stood before her, hands in his pocket, and a smile that looked like he was ready to get the upper hand on her again. Maxine felt the mad urge to run her fingers through his carefully mussed hair – and then run away.

“You’re here,” he said in greeting. His brown eyes traced her outfit, from head to toe, and she felt herself flush under his gaze, wondering at the meaning.

Maxine tried to smile like a normal person. “Of course. I live here now, so I am obligated to participate and such. Besides…strawberries,” she finished, gesturing at her cup, then realized dumbly that it was empty.

But Sam didn’t seem to notice. “Are those weeds in your hair?” He pointed at the flower crown atop her head.

“No!” Maxine touched the crown defensively.

“So, they’re not dandelions that you plucked out of your grass this morning?”

“Well, yeah! But I mean…they’re not weeds!”

“I’m pretty sure they are.”

“Dandelions are just as much a flower as any other. The only reason they’re called weeds is because some people didn’t like how useful they were and wanted to ruin their reputation.” Maxine wanted the floor to open and swallow her whole. Why was she going on about dandelions as if they were her life's purpose??

But Sam’s eyes lit up with curiosity, and he laughed. “They’re useful?”

“Like…they’re good to eat. For us and birds. And for medicine. That sort of thing.” Maxine said slowly, her brain feeling like mud. She seemed to have lost all ability to sound even remotely articulate.

“And flower crowns.”

“Huh?”

“They make nice flower crowns.” Sam smiled again. “I see your point now, and I acknowledge your royal status."

“Good.” Maxine replied defiantly, not knowing how else to respond. She was flustered. She was definitely flustered.

“Looks better than the one they give the Flower Queen, too.”

“What’s that, anyway?” Maxine asked, remembering Haley’s comment.

Sam paused, then said, “Just Haley’s annual chance to pretend she reigns supreme over all the young people in town. Not that she does. But it’s a nice tradition anyway. You met her, right? I think I saw you talking to her earlier.”

Maxine nodded. “Does she really win Flower Queen every year?”

“Yeah. But it’s more like, no one cares about it as much as her, so when she volunteers to take the crown, everyone agrees. Who are you going to dance with?”

Maxine had hardly processed the first part of Sam’s words, before taking note of the last. “Me? No one! Noooo way…”

“Why not?”

“It’s my first time here! I don’t know anybody. I am merely an observer. Plus, I don’t dance. Ever.”

Sam gave her a doubtful look, enough that Maxine had to look away. “Methinks thou doth protest too much. Besides, you just said you quote, live here, and are, quote, obligated to participate.” He looked pleased with himself, all the while, like he had trapped her with her own words. Which was true. And there was no defense.

“What are you, a lawyer?” Maxine sputtered weakly, crossing her arms. “I’ll dance next year then.” Her words tumbled out, as she recalled that she wasn’t planning on being here any longer than a year anyway. Saved!

But that seemed to satisfy Sam. “You’ll give Haley a run for her money then. Can’t wait to see the look on her face when she's dethroned!” His eyes gleamed.

Maxine laughed. “Hey, your music was really good, by the way," she said, hoping this would deter him from any more talk of dancing.

“Oh, thanks.” It was finally Sam’s turn to be caught off guard. “It’s just a hobby. I mean. It’s kind of my childhood dream too, but right now, we’re just getting together to do this when we have time. Pays a bit too.” He ran his hand through his hair, messing it up even more.

“It’s good, though!”

“Really?”

“Yeah! Just my kind of music.” Maxine smiled, trying to look as earnest and reassuring as possible. “Are you playing the whole event?”

“Just until the dance. The one we’ve been doing since we were kids.”

“Sounds like you love this very special tradition.”

“Oh, yeah, look how much we love it.” Sam smirked, nodding a few feet away, where Sebastian could be seen puffing a cigarette with evident vigour.

Suddenly, Mayor Lewis’s voice boomed loudly across the clearing. “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the annual Spring Festival!” Everyone turned to the makeshift stage, where Mayor Lewis stood with a megaphone. “This year, it is with special gratitude that we thank Mother Nature for the end of a difficult winter, and the start of a bountiful season. We’re expecting wonderful produce, as always, from our local farmers.” Everyone cheered in response. “In addition to that, we’ve been especially lucky this year to welcome into our community a new farmer, who is also a reminder of our dear old friend, Hugo Lang. May his spirit rest in peace. His granddaughter, Maxine, has recently moved to Sanctuary Farm. I hope everyone has had the pleasure of meeting her, but if not, she has happily attended our festival today. Maxine, where are you? Please wave your hand! Where are you?” Mayor Lewis squinted his eyes as he scanned the crowd.

Maxine could feel her entire body warm with mortification. Such public attention was completely beyond her usual zone of comfort. She froze in spot, as the crowd joined Lewis in trying to locate her. Eyes began to register the strange new face among the familiar. “Gods,” Maxine muttered under her breath.

“Hey! It’s okay,” Sam whispered as he leaned into her. His brows were furrowed but he shot her a small smile. He put an arm around Maxine’s shoulder, and started pointing wildly at her. “Everyone, this is Maxine!” he yelled towards the crowd. “She’s cool! Especially because she’s friends with me!”

Maxine forced herself to wave and smile as normally as she could. Some returned the smiles and waves. Others whispered. And yet many more were chuckling good naturedly about Sam’s comment.

“Yes, that is Maxine. Thank you, Sam,” Mayor Lewis said, a well-worn frown on his face. He sighed. “Maxine, you are a welcome addition to our small community, and it is admirable that you want to get Old Hugo’s farm back to its former glory. Let’s all applaud her efforts and give her our support.”

At this, the crowd clapped their hands, nodding and smiling encouragingly at Maxine. Even Sam had removed his arm to join in. Maxine felt her stiffness thaw ever so slightly and tried to imprint this memory into her mind. Nobody was out to get her, to wish her failure. These were people who knew the legacy her grandfather had set in motion, and clearly wanted her to succeed in moving forward. He had big shoes to fill and seemed to have been so beloved by the people of the Valley. But because of that, everyone was taking a chance on her, hoping she would be able to do what she set out to do. And she wasn’t going to be alone in this journey, wherever it led. Maxine was moved by this realization.

“Right. Moving on.” Mayor Lewis cleared his throat loudly, as the applause died down. “It is nearly 1 o’clock, so we’re right on time for the dance to start. Everyone should have asked their intended by now. If you haven’t, please hurry. If you have, please make your way to the center, and get in position. For everyone else, happy spring! Enjoy the festivities today!” With that, the mayor walked off the stage, and started directing people.

Sam waved and smiled at Maxine as he started to walk towards the dance area.

“Wait!” Before thinking too hard about it, Maxine reached up to her flower crown, and quickly detached a dandelion from the chain. “Here.” She handed the bright yellow, half-wilted flower to Sam. At that moment, it certainly seemed like a weed.

He stared at it, then at Maxine, then slowly picked up the flower from her hand. “Thank you.” He spoke the words that she couldn’t bring herself to voice, for him saving her a moment ago. Carefully, Sam tucked the small flower into his shirt pocket, until the yellow petals were peeking out, like a secret, glaringly yellow against the blue of his ensemble.

Maxine felt a little breathless. It seemed as if time had frozen, and Sam, who seemed to be the definition of kinetic energy – always in motion and skating past her everywhere she went – he was now standing so still and pensive, and with such seriousness that his usual dimples had even disappeared.

But, just as soon, the moment was over. Sam was bowing theatrically before her, then jogging away to join the group of young people gathered at the dance floor. Classical music began to swell in the background, and Maxine felt herself wake up.

She decided she really needed a drink now. Was that the most awful cringeworthy thing she had ever done in her life? She was inclined to think YES. Walking towards the little tables set up in the shade, Maxine ignored the pitter-patter of her heart, and plopped into a seat beside Robin, and some other adults.

Six couples, all of whom looked to be in their 20s, were facing each other in a line. As the music played, the pairs gracefully danced towards their partner, touching hands, then separating again as they stepped away. Maxine watched in awe as each couple seemed so in tune with each other, executing the choreography perfectly, but with their own flair. Years of practice together had clearly translated to such a perfect performance. She couldn’t help but blatantly watch Sam a bit more than the rest of the group.

An older lady with dirty blonde curly hair and heavy makeup sighed heavily beside Maxine. “Look at them. They’re just so precious.” Maxine looked around, wondering if the lady was talking to her. Or herself. There was no one on the other side of the lady.

“Who are you talking about?” Maxine asked politely.

The woman pointed at a red-haired girl, who was currently laughing as she was twirled by Sam. “Those two. That’s Penny, my daughter. And Sam, of course. Bless him. Don’t know where Penny would be without him.” She sighed again.

“What do you mean?” Maxine asked, curious. But just as soon, she was regretful. What a way to butt into other people’s business!

As expected, the woman shot her a strange look, but then she chugged the contents of her cup, and said, “What the hell. Everyone else in this godforsaken town knows anyway.” She leaned close to Maxine. “I’m a drunk! Always have been, always will. Even when Penny was a kid, she was more of a grown up than me. She took care of me. She always found ways to get our lives back on track. Sometimes, it’s not enough, though, is it? Sometimes, you need that extra push. And Sam is that push for Penny. Soon, they’re going to get married and she’ll have a better future than anything I could ever give her.”

Maxine practically jumped out of her seat, but she restrained herself. “Aren’t they both still young for that kind of thing?” she asked, ignoring the disappointment rising in her chest.

“24’s not young anymore,” the woman said, shaking her head clumsily. “I had Penny when I was just 20. She’s going to be 25 in a few months, and Sam’s not far behind. What’s your point? One day, doesn’t matter when, it’s going to happen. They’ve practically promised each other!”

Maxine couldn’t help but frown. So, this was how it was. Sam and Penny were together. Off limits. No point ogling her eyes at him anymore. Not that that was what she was doing! No! He was just…nice to look at. But it hadn’t been anything more than that! She gazed out at the two dancing, his hand comfortable against her waist, her smiling at something he had said. They were an attractive couple.

“Well, don’t get your panties all in a bunch! There’s plenty of nice young people in this town! Take your pick!” the lady chortled, knocking back another drink that had mysteriously shown up. “And while you’re at it, pick a good one for me too! I could use some fun around here.”

Maxine smiled politely, but before she could disagree with the lady’s implication that she was upset about Sam – she totally was NOT – the music came to a halt, and the audience erupted in cheers and applause. In the center, the couples bowed and curtsies and waved to the crowds, before dispersing. Maxine stood up as she realized Penny was briskly approaching the table.

“Hi, I’m Maxine.” She offered her hand, feeling a sudden urge to be friendly. She hoped Penny hadn't seen that whole dandelion ordeal - which was now definitely going in her memory bank as cringe-worthy.

“Penny,” the red-haired woman said, shaking Maxine’s hand briefly, then turning to the lady. “Mom. I think it’s about time we get going.” She gently pulled the woman’s arm, helping her to stand. “Are you alright?”

“Never better,” the lady said, her words slurring.

Penny frowned, and while the lady’s back was turned, picked up her cup and smelled its contents. Her brow furrowed deeper, and she secured her grip on the woman’s arm, placing it around her shoulder. “Nice to meet you, Maxine. Maybe I’ll see you around some time, and we can get to know each other.” She smiled ruefully.

“That sounds nice,” Maxine agreed sincerely.

“And don’t forget me! You can find me at the Bar every night! If I’m not there yet, ask for Pam’s special! Get it ready for my arrival! Ha!” The lady walked away, nearly swerving into the crowd, if it weren’t for Penny’s strong grasp.

Maxine decided she had enough for the day. She began to clear the table’s garbage, including Pam’s collection of cups, and threw them in the nearby trash can. She said goodbye to Robin, then trudged across the field, towards the exiting path. A hand, gentle on her arm, stopped her from going much further.

“You’re leaving already?” It was Sam, looking impossibly in even more disarray than before. Small beads of sweat dripped from his forehead, and he had shoved his shirt sleeves up past his elbows.

But, above all that Maxine noticed, it was the dandelion that was still securely tucked inside his shirt pocket. She had to laugh. “Yeah. Your dancing was really great. Impressive.”

Sam put his hands up. “Don’t even lie, I was terrible. We all were. But the old fogies are happy.”

“That’s sweet.”

“But hey, you’re missing the rest of the festivities! We’re playing a few more songs. Then there’s still Haley’s crowning ceremony. Cake. More dancing – no choreo this time. And fireworks after! Everyone loves fireworks! What kind of person doesn’t stay for fireworks?” He shook his head, a hint of a smile on his face.

Maxine contemplated staying, and spending more time surreptitiously looking at Sam’s dark brown eyes all day. Then she thought of what Pam had said – how Sam was more or less spoken for. But that didn't matter, anyway! She wasn’t here to get into a relationship! Especially not after what happened back in the city, with Jesse. And not with her parents’ one-year plan for her. And most especially not with someone who was not available, no matter how attractive he was. So, she settled for returning an apologetic smile at him. “Rain check? I have to go home and walk my dog.”

Sam breathed deeply. “As the queen wishes,” he said, half-bowing again.

Maxine let out something like a chortle, wondering how much dorkier he thought she was after today. She quietly said goodbye and headed across the bridge.

She didn’t turn back, or she would have seen Sam still standing where they parted, watching her retreat. The smile on his face had faded into something more solemn, and curious. He took the dandelion out of his shirt pocket, smelling it briefly, and contemplated how such a thing could suddenly seem so different now. Tucking it back into his pocket, he went off in search of his friends.


	7. Making moves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> for those of you who've been keeping up since the beginning, thanks for reading :)

She was overthinking things. Maxine knew it. She could feel it when she was laying in bed at night, replaying every interaction she’d had so far with him. All the words. His stupid face. The more-anxious-than-usual side of her that he was bringing out. It’d been a long time since she’d felt nervous around someone. But it was pointless. She was overthinking things. And she was wasting her time. Maxine didn’t want a relationship! What she wanted was to make her parents happy and renovate the farmhouse for them! And then move back to the city and figure out what the heck she was going to do with her life! Besides, there was the Penny of it all, the mysterious red-headed girl next door who clearly had a history with Sam. There was no getting in between that.

Maxine spent the next few days concentrating on her farm. With some tips from Mayor Lewis, she had spent one delightful evening falling in love with the library that she didn’t know existed on the east side of town. She’d taken home what she could carry, and cooped up in bed, tried to glean as many morsels of knowledge that would hopefully help the farm. And she needed all the help she could get. Progress was slow, with little buds of green beginning to dot the soil. Maxine liked to think that deep under the surface, magic was happening. She spent a lot of time on her porch, staring out across the fields, admiring the view and envisioning what could be.

The other thing that occupied her time was excavating. She hadn’t realized how much her grandfather had left behind until she finally entered the shed behind the farmhouse. Besides the garden tools the first week, she had also uncovered several dusted-over casks and barrels, a very dirty oil press, oddly shaped tubular contraptions that Marnie had said was for milking animals, scattered barrels of hay…and one dirty white bicycle. It was her new companion, and she had taken to biking around her farm for exercise, with Sirius giving chase not far behind.

Suffice it to say, Maxine was very good at compartmentalizing her feelings, pushing away the things she didn’t want to focus on, and keeping herself busy. She knew enough not to be carried away by her heart anymore. And so, with a bit of a clearer and more resolute mind, Maxine rode into town on her grandfather’s bicycle, on her way to return some library books. She was neither getting too close, nor actively avoiding, where she knew Sam’s house to be. It was evening, and the sunset was shimmering in the river by the bridge. Maxine couldn’t help but watch its reflection, her feet slowing on the pedals.

“Hey!” A voice shouted from near the Mayor’s house.

And just like that, Maxine’s heart started beating fiercely. She cursed under her breath.

Sam was walking towards her, in an apparent detour from his usual trek home. He wore a dark blue flannel shirt, with the sleeves rolled up unevenly on both sides, and ripped jeans. His headphones were around his neck, his music audible even from a distance. And his hair was an absolute mess.

“Hey yourself.” Maxine slowed to a stop, and clumsily dug her foot into the dirt, to steady herself. He just made her so nervous! She reminded herself it was just because she didn’t know him – Sam was still a question mark. But already so unlike anything she had ever experienced with Jesse. Jesse had been predictable. Jesse had a schedule, and a calendar, and he knew exactly where he would be every minute of the day. Date nights had always been Thursdays, and Jesse had made the exact same meal for them to eat, over the same bottle of wine, while watching his favourite cop show. Their routine had been comfortable, predictable, and perfected over the years.

Anyway, that wasn’t the point. The point was, Sam was a question mark. “Haven’t seen you in a while.” He ran his hand into his hair so that it was sticking up even higher than ever.

Maxine had to smile at the sight. “Yeah, I’ve been trying to figure out all the farming stuff. There’s not exactly a Wiki on how to be the best farmer.”

“Right. Somebody should get on that.” He laughed. “So, I’ve been wanting to ask…if you can afford to take a breather from your work, we’ve got a gig on Saturday, a few hours from here. We’re all going to take the bus together. Do you want to come?”

Maxine suppressed her usual reflex to make a feeble excuse and get out of social gatherings. She reminded herself that she did want to fit in, to be accepted in this community. Even though she was an introvert and liked spending time alone – had no problem with spending days at a time with only her own company! – Maxine also remembered what had happened at the dance. She was starting to genuinely like living in the Valley and was curious if she was missing out by being on her own all the time.

What if she started to say yes more often? And plus, it was Sam. Without knowing it, he was – once again – saving her. Saving her from another weekend at home, watching TV, walking Sirius, and reading books. Emailing her parents for the zillionth time, asking if they were sure with what she was doing. Eating meals for one. Not that there was anything wrong with any of this.

But what would happen if she did something different for once?

And, so what if the invitation was coming from Sam? She felt a sense of shame wash over her. Here she was, being so unreasonable and avoiding him for no reason other than her stupid boy-crazy heart! And for a guy who had consistently been welcoming her to this new place. In fact, the whole town was full of people who were warm and kind and receptive to her presence. And she wasn’t making the effort to get herself involved!

“No pressure or anything!” Sam said hastily, since Maxine had been so quiet. “Just thought you might like to get out of the Valley for a bit. Have you ever been to Solar City?”

“Yeah, a few times in my life!” Maxine responded enthusiastically now that she had made up her mind.

“There’s a bar called Hart’s Head that’s having a talent night. Our band is slotted for 9, so come by if you want. Or not, whatever.” He shrugged, not meeting her eyes. But since he went to all the trouble of explaining, Maxine guessed that he cared. At least a little.

She raised an eyebrow and smiled. “I’d love to.”

Sam then grinned, and it felt as if the wind was knocked out of her. “Cool, cool,” he said. “Here’s my number. If you want to go with us on Saturday, just let me know and we can coordinate.” He quickly scribbled his number on the back of a receipt and handed it to her. One last smile and he was waving goodbye, on his way home.

Maxine got back on her bicycle in a daze as she stared at the receipt. Saturday was going to be interesting…

Among Maxine’s finds in her grandfather’s farm was an old photo album. Maxine spent Friday morning eating breakfast and skimming the album, tracing the faces of relatives she had never met. Of her grandfather when he was a teenager. Of her mother, growing up on the farm, a perpetual scowl on her face. She didn’t look so different now.

One photo that stood out to Maxine was where her grandfather was just standing in the middle of his fields, tall stalks of wheat and flowers and vines surrounding him. In the distant background stood a greenhouse and a barn, close to the house. Upon seeing this, Maxine had headed outside, to compare the views. She contemplated the now neglected structures, merely a hodgepodge of damaged wooden frames, a ghost of what once had stood so majestically on her grandfather’s land. The farm truly had so much potential – her grandfather used to have rows upon rows of fruit trees, fresh vegetables along the main path, and several little wooden bee hives among the flowers. Maybe it was time for Maxine to double down on her efforts…

After doing her farm chores for the morning, and gulping down a hearty lunch, Maxine biked through the balmy spring weather, up to Robin’s house near the mountains. She had never been there, but Robin had described the directions on the landline.  
A stunning wooden mansion lay just before the ascent. It was crafted so professionally and perfectly yet retained a rustic and homey vibe. Maxine hesitantly let herself in and was immediately greeted by Robin.

“You found me! That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“Not at all,” Maxine said, laughing lightly. “This is a beautiful house.”

“Thank you,” Robin said, returning to her counter. “It was a labour of love. I’ll give you a tour in a bit. First, tell me what I can help you with? You said on the phone you had some projects in mind.”

Maxine approached, and opened her sketchbook, the first page of which contained the photograph of her grandfather. “I noticed that my grandfather used to have a greenhouse and barnyard on his farm. You saw them before, right? I’d love if I could get those buildings set up and running again.”

“Then you’ve come to the right place!” Robin stared at the photo for a moment, studying it, before exhaling deeply and looking at Maxine again. “Let’s go through the catalog.” Flipping through a large red book, Maxine and Robin pored over the contents, going back and forth discussing prices, panelling, flooring, construction materials…

“You’ll do all this yourself?”

“Just me,” Robin said proudly. “Well, unless it’s a really big job, then I get some of the locals to help out. You can join in too! Cuts down a bit of the cost!”

“I don’t have a lot of carpentry experience,” Maxine admitted bashfully, “but thank you again for helping me on this project.”

“Of course! Day or night, I’m here for you!” Robin beamed.

Maxine handed over the necessary money, almost half the funds her parents had given her to set up the farm. Just then, she heard a door opening. She expected to feel a chill from the outside, but when she turned around, Maxine only saw another door with stairs that led into a basement, and Sebastian stepping forward, eyebrows raised at the sight of her.

“Hey,” he said, regaining his composure. “What are you up to?” He peered at the still-open catalog.

“Maxine’s building a greenhouse,” Robin said excitedly. “Do you remember the one Hugo used to have? It’s going to be a lot of work to replicate it, but I have confidence in us. You think you have some time to help me out, hon?” She looked pointedly at her son, who was browsing through the catalog, his cheek dropped into his palm as he leaned against the counter.

“If you pay me,” Sebastian responded simply, flipping the pages.

“Of course! Perfect. We can spend some quality mother-son time. I’ve missed that!” Robin put an arm around Sebastian’s shoulder. “Maxine, your greenhouse is going to turn out amazing. Seb has a great eye for this kind of stuff.”

At this, Sebastian met Maxine’s eyes briefly, then straightened up. “Let me know when we get started,” he said, before walking down the hall.

Robin looked on at her son with delight in her eyes. “It’s always so nice to see him out of his room.”

Maxine snorted, then stifled it when she realized Robin wasn’t joking. But she didn’t seem to notice.

“That reminds me! It’s your first time here, isn’t it? You haven’t met my husband yet. Demetrius. He should be finishing up in the field soon. Let me go get him! You’ll stay for a bit, won’t you?”

Maxine nodded and watched as Robin rounded the counter and rushed out the front door, still chatting a mile a minute. She picked up the photograph she had brought over, staring at her grandfather’s enigmatic expression, and wondering what he would think of her project.

“What are you looking at?” Sebastian had returned, a soda can in hand.

“Oh, just some old photos,” Maxine said, clearing her throat. “I was showing your mom some ideas I had for the farm.”

Sebastian gestured at the sketchbook. “They’re pretty good.”

“Thanks.”

“I hear you’re going to the show tomorrow night,” Sebastian continued, not meeting her eyes as he haphazardly flipped through the sketchbook.

“Yeah, I’m pretty excited about it,” Maxine responded, sounding robotic to her own ears. But she had to admit, Sebastian had a monotonous way of talking that was contagious.

“Me too, it’s our proper first gig since Christmas.”

“The spring dance didn’t count?”

Sebastian scrunched up his nose as if she had said something distasteful. “Nah. That’s not the kind of audience, or music we typically play.”

“What kind, then?”

“A bit of indie, a bit of rock,” Sebastian trailed off.

“That’s the kind of music I like!”

“Ha! Wait till Sam hears that.”

Maxine tried her best not to react, even though she felt herself warming. What the heck was that supposed to mean?

“Are you going to meet us there? Or take the bus down with us?” Sebastian asked, cutting through her inner thoughts.

“Probably the bus.”

“Do you mind?” Sebastian gestured at the sketchbook, and when Maxine shook her head, he opened it to a blank page and scrawled his number. “Call if you have any trouble. We’re meeting at the station – it’s kind of hard to miss, since it’s the only one in town. But just in case.”

Maxine laughed. “I think I can remember that at least, but thank you…”

Seeing Sebastian smile for the first time, it was surprisingly nice. Maxine hesitated, trying to think what else to say, but then the front door opened, and Robin stepped in, dragging a very tall man carrying a clipboard.

“Maxineeee, meet Demetrius!!”

“That’s my cue to leave,” Sebastian muttered, taking the soda can with him. “See you tomorrow.” Before she could say anything else, he was already disappearing back down the basement stairs, closing the door behind him.

Maxine greeted the newcomer, and, over some tea and cookies, got to know the story of how a town scientist fell in love with the local carpenter.


	8. Connected

It was like the night before a big test. Maxine hadn’t slept, running her mind through various scenarios of how Saturday night would go down. All the ways it could go wrong in a single instant, all the things she could say or do that would blow up in her face. When she got up on Saturday, she had barely slept.

The morning went by quickly, filled with farm chores, and Maxine clearing up the fields where the greenhouse would go. The project wasn’t starting until the next week, but there were still things to get prepared. Yet somehow 5 PM crept ever closer, and suddenly Maxine found herself frantically pulling clothes out of her closet, searching for a cool enough outfit. Where was her faux leather mini skirt when she needed it??

Eventually, settled on an outfit and some makeup, Maxine said goodbye to Sirius, and rushed out the door, speed walking to the bus stop, the place where she had been unceremoniously dropped off only a month and a half ago. How things had changed since then! Whether for better or worse, it was still too soon to tell.

Maxine slowed her pace as the bus stop came into view. Penny was the first person she saw, standing next to another girl. At the sight of Maxine, she turned and whispered something to her friend. Meanwhile, Sam and Sebastian had also caught sight of Maxine, and both waved – Sam, in a way that required his entire body, while Sebastian was brisk and immediately re-crossed his arms. They stood in a little circle with their instruments, and a purple-haired girl.

Maxine walked up to them, ignoring the nerves running through her body. Was she dressed up enough for this?? “Hi!” she said, trying to feign confidence and sounding overly hyper as a result.

“Hey Maxine! Thanks for –” Sam began, before being elbowed in the stomach by the purple-haired girl.

“So, you’re the famous Maxine!” the girl said, a smile plastered on her face. “I’m Abigail! I’ve heard SO-O-O-O much about you!”

Maxine’s eyes widened. “Good things, I hope?”

Abigail laughed loudly, her head thrown back. “Really good things. I think we’re going to be great friends. And thank god, because this band can be a real sausage-fest sometimes.”

“Hey!” Sam frowned. “At least we include you in everything.”

Abigail rolled her eyes and blew a raspberry. “Doesn’t mean I’m having fun with you dumbbells all the time. I need girl talk, you know.”

Sam blew his own raspberry, then turned back to Maxine. “Are you excited for the show?”

“Are _you_? It’s so cool that you guys are playing in front of a whole crowd of people! I could never imagine doing that! And playing your own songs too? It seems too personal, like reading your diary to everyone.”

“Oh, yeah…” Sam looked away.

“Actually, we don’t have any new originals at the moment, though,” Abigail interjected, as she sat down on an instrument case. “All of the songs in our current repertoire are about three years old by now, right, Sam?”

“I’ve been busy,” Sam said defensively.

“We’ve got covers down completely, though,” Abigail continued. “But, just warning you, don’t get your hopes up with a lot of originals tonight. We’re just going to play a few of our best covers, and one of our own.”

Sebastian shot Sam a furtive look. The bus rolled in, and Sam picked up his guitar case. “Hey, do you want to –” he began to ask Maxine, before being pulled away by Sebastian, who ignored his incomprehensible protests.

“We’ve got some stuff to go over,” Sebastian explained to a bewildered Maxine, and dragged Sam onto the bus, his other hand carrying his own case.

“Let’s talk more after the show, okay?” Abigail smiled widely as she followed them on.

Maxine nodded, and slowly trailed after her onto the bus, eyeing the available seats. There were not many left, as the Valley was one of the last stops on the way to Solar City. The trio had settled at the very back, already deep in discussion. Maxine was about to grab a window seat in the front, thankful she had the foresight to bring a book, when someone grabbed her arm and pulled her down.

“You’re sitting with us,” said the girl who had been talking to Penny. She had dark red hair and round gold-rimmed hipster glasses.

Maxine vaguely recognized her from the pictures in Robin’s house the other day. “You’re Maru, right?”

Maru nodded, smiling. “And you know Penny already?” she asked, gesturing to her other side.

Maxine waved shyly at Penny. She couldn’t help but recall the last time she had seen her was when Penny was half-carrying her clearly inebriated mother at the spring dance.

“How are you, Maxine?” Penny asked politely. “It’s been a while.”

They exchanged pleasantries, and Maxine forced herself to make small-talk, mentioning the latest plans for her farm.

“So, it seems like you’re good friends with Sam and the others already,” Penny said.

“Not really good friends…but I guess something like friends.” Maxine bit her lip. “They’re very nice.”

“Yeah, they’re the best,” Penny agreed. “Sam’s one of the kindest people I know.”

Maxine nodded, not knowing what else to say. “How long have you all been friends?”

“Oh, we all go way back,” Maru said, smiling. “Seb and his mom joined my family when I was about 10 or so. So that was like, almost a decade ago. Abby’s always lived in the Valley. Penny moved here when she was a kid. Most of us went to school together. And then Sam showed up…like, nine years ago? He was 15, right, Penny?”

Penny nodded.

“And that was such a crazy year!” Maru laughed. “Remember, Pen? All the stupid hilarious things Sam got us to do? He was such a wild child! Always wanting to get everyone in trouble, like him! Oh my god, remember when he dared everyone to dye their hair bleach blonde like him? And Alex ran out of the house screaming that his head was on fire?”

Penny suddenly burst into a laughter that sounded sweet and bell-like. “That’s one of my favourite memories.”

“Mine too,” Maru agreed. “And that other time, at the sleepover, when he was daring everyone to do Seven Minutes in Heaven in Abby’s closet? And the door got stuck, and we had to call her dad, and he came out wearing a face mask and robe??”

At this, Penny blushed, and didn’t say anything more. Maxine recalled what Penny had said, and she suddenly felt strangely out of place, listening to these childhood stories. It was bittersweet. She liked hearing about Sam’s past, but it made her think about her relatively calmer childhood, filled with fictional heroes and heroines in the books she kept herself occupied with. She wondered if her mother had decided to stay at the farm, she would have grown up included in these stories. Almost immediately, Maxine then remembered her mother’s sharp voice, insisting “the farm is no place for children to be.” She’d said it a million times when Maxine was growing up.

Though it was only an hour, the bus ride seemed to take forever.

* * *

 

Sam was a ball of nerves as he got off the bus and followed his bandmates into the venue. Outside, several of their fans were already lined up, waving and yelling incomprehensibly as they caught sight of the trio. Though it was a talent show, Sebastian had made sure to send out announcements on their social media pages. It energized Sam to see that several fans had shown up and were rooting for them tonight.

The trio made their way through the crowd, and backstage, to the little change room that had been assigned to them. Sam pulled out his guitar and began tuning it.

“I still can’t believe you, Sam,” Abigail sniffed, though a smile was on her face.

“What do you mean?” Sam asked innocently, avoiding her gaze.

“You know what I mean,” Abigail said cryptically, before teasingly shoving Sam on the shoulder. “You could’ve told us about fifty gazillion times last week about this new song! We’ve only hung out, like, every single night. But no-o-o, you tell us we have to start with a new original, on the bus ride to the venue, on the very night of the show. You’ve really outdone yourself, friend. Proud of you.”

“Master level procrastinating,” Sebastian commented.

“Yeah, well…I only finalized it this morning,” Sam said, though his face was apologetic. “Guys, we’ll be fine.”

Abigail wasn’t done though, as she scrutinized the sheets Sam had presented to them on the bus. “I know, but this is kind of risky, isn’t it? We want to win tonight, and we’re going to go on stage with barely any practice! Are you really sure?”

“Even if the new one sucks, we’ll wow them with the other two songs in our set. But it won’t suck. I promise.” Sam let out a nervous grin, and a flash of something else that Abigail couldn’t quite pinpoint. Her eyes narrowed, but before she could say anything, the sound technician popped her head into the change room and whisked Sam away. Abigail quickly sidled to Sebastian, who had been busy practicing the chords.

“So, what do you think? I couldn’t say on the bus, or Sam would’ve pounced, but if I’m not mistaken, it’s a love song.”

Sebastian only nodded and continued practicing.

“I mean, the lyrics alone! Do you even realize how far gone the poor boy is??” Abigail continued, beginning to hop on her feet. “Does Sam even realize?”

Sebastian snorted. “The question is, will the girl even realize by the end of tonight?”

The sound girl popped her head back in, followed by Sam. “Show time.”

Maxine wended her way through the packed bar full of unfamiliar faces. Maru and Penny had quickly been lost to the crowd as soon as they entered, and Maxine couldn’t help but feel relieved. She forced herself deeper into the throng, until she somehow found herself at an empty stool by the bar. From here, she had a clear view of the stage, but was far enough that she wasn’t going to lose her hearing over the night. Quickly, she staked out her territory, and ordered a drink to calm her nerves. Though Maxine rarely drank, it felt like this night required a bit of liquid courage. Fumbling for her phone, Maxine began scrolling through her social media.

The crowd was rowdy and eager for the night to begin, and soon enough, the first performers took to the stage. Maxine sipped her drink and started to feel more at ease as the alcohol ran through her veins. Suddenly, her eyes widened at the sight of a photo on her phone screen, but before she could even absorb the commentary below it, something knocked into her, causing her to spill some of her drink onto her lap.

“I’m so sorry. The people here are a bit crazy tonight. Are you hurt?”

“No, I’m fine. Don’t worry about it,” Maxine said as she put her phone away and frantically wiped her pants with napkins. When she looked up, she could only think, whoa. This man was truly a walking god. Or at least a model. And he was touching Maxine’s arm. He had thick dark hair, light brown – almost golden – eyes, and a hint of an accent.

“At least let me buy you a drink, to make up for it. Please.”

Maxine shook her head, insisting it wasn’t necessary, but the man wouldn’t take no for an answer. Eventually, biting her lip, she nodded. The man squeezed into the space between Maxine and the next stool, making for a suddenly intimate interaction.

“Rafael,” he said, propping a hand out.

“Maxine.”

“Pick your poison, Maxine.”

She was about to respond, but the bartender placed her next gin and tonic in front of her.

“Next one, then,” he said, smiling, then placed an order for his own drink. “So, what is a girl like you doing alone in a place like this? You aren’t from around here, are you? I can tell.”

“Yes – I mean, no. My…friend is in the band tonight.” Maxine smiled, thinking how cool it was to say she was “with the band”, like some kind of groupie. “They’re really good! Well, I haven’t heard them play much, actually, but I hear they’re good. You’ll see. I think they’re on next.” She told herself to stop talking to this stranger! It was the stupid alcohol! And yet, she continued sipping, not knowing what else to do with herself. His golden gaze was making her nervous for some reason. Was she being hit on, by this stranger at a bar? She couldn’t help but feel a semblance of being flattered, and sipped at her gin and tonic with heightened confidence.

“Well, if you like them, then I’m sure they’re good,” Rafael said.

Maxine didn’t know what to make of that.

The host for the night came up on the stage, and announced the next band, catching Maxine’s attention. “They’re on, they’re on!”

Rafael nodded, matching her enthusiasm, and took a swig of his beer before placing a light hand on her back.

Maxine watched, confused by his touch, yet distracted as Sam, Abigail, and Sebastian appeared. As Sam took center stage, his eyes seemed to be scanning the crowd. He and Maxine locked eyes, and he hesitantly returned her wave, and nodded.

“We’re the Valley Kids! Thanks to our fans for coming out to see us! Tonight, we’ve got a new song for everyone,” Sam cried into the mike, to the sound of cheers and applause. “So, get ready to dance! Hope you enjoy our set.” The crowd yelled even louder.

Sebastian plucked a few notes from his guitar, and Abigail tested out the drums, then they began playing. As the crowd jumped up and down in response, dancing and bopping their heads, Maxine found herself completely floored by how catchy the music was. She swayed in her seat, as she continued sipping her drink, completely forgetting about the stranger standing right behind her, until he spoke.

“So those are your friends?”

“Yeah, they’re amazing, right?” Maxine shouted back. Rafael nodded. “The girl on drums is Abigail. She’s so talented. I just met her today, but wow. And the guy in all black is Sebastian. He’s a bit of a mystery to me still. And then the singer in front is Sam.” She couldn’t take her eyes off him – it was like he was an entirely different person now, dialed up to a thousand as he poured his energy into the performance.

“And Sam is yours?”

“My friend? Yeah. He’s a nice person,” Maxine said, her face warming.

“Ah. Not a boyfriend, then?”

“What? No! …Not a boyfriend.”

Rafael’s grip on her shoulder seemed to tighten. “Good. You seem like the type of person who doesn’t play around.”

“Um,” Maxine said, not knowing how to respond to that. She tried to reposition herself from him, but his hand only followed. “What do you mean?”

“You know. You don’t waste time on the jokers and the boys. Only the men. Someone who can take care of you. Like a high-profile lawyer, for example,” Rafael said, his eyes filled with mirth.

Maxine guessed that Rafael was a lawyer. “That’s an interesting guess. Anyway…If you don’t mind…”

“The universe is always looking out for you,” Rafael continued over her, while signalling for the bartender. “And tonight may be the start of something grand…”

“I’m good on the drinks,” Maxine said, shaking her head.

“Come on, would you let a guy do a shot on his own? Besides, we must drink to your friends’ success.” Rafael gestured to the two small glasses that the bartender had just placed down. His golden eyes were intensely gazing at her, and her mind was blank of any excuses she could make. She didn’t want to be rude, so, ignoring the heavy misgivings, Maxine clinked the glass against Rafael’s, and threw it back.

The effect was almost immediate. As was the regret. Maxine frowned at the foul taste, and cursed at herself, wondering why she couldn’t just say no. She rotated her stool, trying to focus on the stage. She had already missed most of the first song, and the band had just finished playing another one.

“This is it for us tonight,” Sam was saying into the microphone, looking like he had just run a marathon. “Our last song is called ‘Gold Rush’, and it’s about relationships…” The crowd whooped and catcalled. “…And feeling like your whole world is about to change. Hope you guys like it. Check out our website for more!” He began strumming his guitar.

Maxine clapped along with everyone else, and tried her best to absorb the lyrics, but it was difficult to concentrate after that shot, let alone all the screaming from the fans near the stage, all vying for the band’s attention. The Valley Kids finished their song with several guitar riffs and flourishes, and the crowd went wild. Maxine tried to cheer as loud as she could.

“So, can I get your number?” Rafael said, gently shaking Maxine’s shoulder and distracting her focus. “I think we could have a lot of fun. You’re single, right?”

“Oh, I…” Maxine started, her mind feeling like slush to think of a nice way to politely decline, but she was interrupted by the arrival of Sam, who had already pushed his way through the crowd. He was surrounded from behind by several fans, who had gone ballistic, seeing him jump directly off the stage into the crowd, seconds after the song had ended.

“Maxine, do you want a refill?” he said in greeting.

“Oh, I already had two,” Maxine responded, swivelling around to face him. “And a shot.” Was it just her or were her words slurring?

“You’re Sam,” Rafael said jovially. “You were very good tonight.”

“Thanks, appreciate it,” Sam replied, not even looking at Rafael.

“Sam, Sam, no, you were amazing! Not just good!” Maxine half-yelled, as she clutched Sam’s shirt, pulling him towards her in an already small space. He almost stumbled into her lap, caught off guard. “Wow, you’re sweaty.”

Sam grinned. “How about some food, then?”

“Am starving,” Maxine admitted, thinking how she had been so nervous to go to the concert she had skipped lunch and dinner. No wonder two drinks had gone straight to her head!

“Let me order you something,” Sam said, hopping onto the stool next to Maxine. He waved down the bartender.

Rafael’s hand dropped from Maxine’s back. “Have a good night. I hope everything works out for you,” Rafael said, eyeing the two. He smiled sympathetically.

“Ooh, finally, he’s gone,” Maxine said, watching his parting back. “Thanks for saving me,” she stage-whispered to Sam. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“Did he do anything to you?” Sam asked, concern etched across his face.

“No, but he was trying to,” Maxine responded, a shiver of goosebumps coming over her. “He was so weird. I don’t know what I was thinking. Ugh…no more shots. Anyway, hey, all those songs were so good.”

“You really liked them?”

“Loooved them. Wow. You have so much talent. All of you. Everyone was going so crazy tonight!”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Sam said, laughing. Maxine was being uncharacteristically talkative tonight. “Thanks for coming out to support us.”

“And that last song…you said it was about a girl…”

“Maybe…”

“About someone. That you have feelings for?”

“That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about.” His voice feigned lightness, but Sam felt even more nervous than he had been on stage moments ago.

“Well, whoever it is, I’ll bet they’re feeling REALLLLLY lucky that you sang about them. And actual good songs too. Seriously. I wish I had a talent like that, that I could share with the world,” Maxine continued, as if Sam had not spoken. She paused, her face suddenly somber, and stared fixedly at her tumbler, swirling the straw around the rim. “You looked so good up there…like, wild and carefree.”

“You did too. I saw you dancing.”

“Yeah, but it’s different. I don’t know. Maybe I don’t remember how to be young and stupid.” She sharply turned to Sam. “Not stupid, you know. But like…silly. Blissful ignorance. Just dancing and living in the moment. It’s like I suddenly woke up one day and realized ‘I’m 25 and I have no idea what I’m doing’, and now I’m just…here. Alone. On a farm. Watching everyone back home continue with their lives, doing what they love to do. And I’ve got all the capabilities, I’ve got my health and my energy and strength, but I’m restless and I don’t know where to start, and time passes and it feels like such a waste. I should be living but I’m just asking myself all the time, when is it going to start?” Maxine groaned, holding her palm against her forehead as she tried to focus back on Sam. “It’s stupid…”

“Are you feeling okay?” He lightly touched her shoulder.

“I think…I’ve gotta…” and then Maxine stumbled off the stool and ran to the washroom, just in the nick of time, and hurled the contents of her stomach into a toilet.

* * *

 

Sam shook his head, half-laughing, and took a large gulp of his beer. Here he was about to ask out a girl, and she went off and had an existential crisis, then got sick. He exhaled heavily. Another day then, he thought, hardly registering the random girls behind him trying to get his attention. He went over what she had said, about being young and carefree. Sure, Sam may have looked the part on that stage, but deep down, he certainly didn’t feel any freer than she did. All of his dreams to become a rock star were so out of reach. There had been so many setbacks on his path – his dad leaving, and then his mom moving them to the countryside, causing everything he had been working on in the city to come to a screeching halt. He’d abandoned his music lessons, his old band…

Thankfully, Abigail and Sebastian had been kindred spirits when he first arrived, and they had soon established a new band, and developed a sound that reverberated way better with him. But the problem with living in the Valley was, gigs were few and far between. They’d really had to push themselves and work harder than ever before in the last few years to get the attention and following they now had. And who knew how far it would go? Or if it would disappear some day, again? And all that was left was his dead-end job at the supermarket, reliving his glory days through his headphones.

He sighed, and continued drinking. Sam wasn’t going to worry himself sick about this again. He was just going to let things happen in their own time. For now, the momentum they were building was satisfying enough. And even more important, Sam was writing original music again. He’d been sitting on his song for a few days and had finally decided he was confident enough to let everyone – including his own bandmates – hear it. And it had been good, based on the response tonight. And this wasn’t even the only one – he had a handful of others he was secretly working on at home. He felt like he was inspired again, ready to share his thoughts and voice with the world.

Sam guessed it might have something to do with the recent arrival of the farmer. He didn’t want to call it infatuation per se…it was just something about her. How she had just come to the Valley, and through her eyes, everything mundane seemed fresh and beautiful and incredible. And every day had stopped being predictable and routine. Now he had things to look forward to. A surprise chance encounter in the town square or skating past the convenience store and spotting an unfamiliar face through the windows…or any time he heard the bark of a dog, Maxine wasn’t far behind. He didn’t know what was going on, except that he felt different.

He hoped Abigail and Sebastian hadn’t noticed yet, because he sure as heck wasn’t about to admit anything. Not yet, anyway. Not that he was ashamed of how he felt. But Maxine seemed like the type to like city slickers. Men with goatees and slicked-back hair who did business and carried briefcases and knew what they were all about… What good was he, a stock boy rock-star wannabe, living at his mom’s house, in the middle of nowhere? And then there was the other puzzling question: what to do with Penny?

But Sam shook his head, getting all these thoughts away from the forefront of his mind. He had to at least try something – anything! – to find out where Maxine stood. If there was a chance. Then he could move on. And he could stop staring at her mouth when she talked.

Maxine came out of the washroom feeling worse for wear. Her stomach was empty, and her head was spinning, though less than before. She slowly reached the bar again, and feigned confidence as if she had presented a magic trick. “I’m back!”

“You okay?”

“I’ve been better,” Maxine admitted, letting the façade fade.

“You want to go home? I can call us a taxi,” Sam said, concern still all over his face.

“No, no. Please, it’s your big night! I don’t want to cut it short,” Maxine insisted, even though she really wanted to say yes.

Sam only shook his head and took out his phone. “There’ll be other nights. This is more important.” After calling the taxi and paying the bar tab, they exited the stuffy building, his hands gentle on her shoulders, guiding her through the crowd. Outside, the air was refreshing against her skin. They stood quietly against the wall. The door of the bar was closed, muffling the sound of the music and the noisy crowd.

“Sam, I’m so sorry,” Maxine finally said. “You can stay back, seriously. I know my way home. Or at least, the taxi driver does.”

“Trust me, I’d rather be here,” Sam said, waving his hand. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Ha, I’m sure all your adoring fans are really annoyed with me,” Maxine joked, then regretted it immediately.

“They’ll live. Hey, I wanted to say, back there…”

“What?” Maxine wondered why Sam kept switching between being easygoing to serious in seconds flat.

“I…” Sam hesitated. “I feel the same way too. About everything. Getting older and freaking out about what I’m doing. I think everyone goes through things like that. So, it’s okay if you’re scared about stuff. I get scared too, sometimes.”

Maxine cocked her head to the side, feeling like she was about to cry. “Thank you for saying that.” Her head ached like nothing else, and her stomach was twisted in knots, but her mind felt like it was less out of the woods now. She shivered. It was the middle of spring, but the night was still cool, warning of rain to come. Without a word, Sam pulled off his hoodie and draped it around her shoulders. “But –”

He shook his head. “Don’t need it. Keep it.”

Maxine swallowed her words. Just nodded and pulled the sweater on, letting the warmth envelop her. It was almost as good as a hug.

The taxi showed up, and the two climbed into the backseat. Sam told the driver where to go, then leaned back. Maxine could feel his eyes on her as she stared out the window, watching the streetlights go by. He nudged her arm.

“You want?”

He was holding out an earphone, the other already in his ear. She nodded and inserted her own. Sam scrolled through his phone and music began to play. The spent the rest of the long taxi ride lost in their own thoughts but tied together to the same music.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and as the end scene fades to black, coldplay's "always in my head" plays...


	9. New projects

Maxine startled awake to the sound of loud banging and hammering. She scrambled out of bed, swearing and pulled on the first thing she could find over her pajamas, and quickly rushed out the front door, her hair flying.

Her shock dissipated immediately. The source of the sounds was none other than Robin, moving planks of wood and glass panels to where her grandfather’s old greenhouse was. “Good morning, Robin,” Maxine said loudly, as she approached.

“Hey, Maxine. Finally, you’re up! I was so excited this morning, I just wanted to come down and get a start on our project!” Robin waved at all the materials being set up. “I’ve got a big day ahead of me. Don’t let me get in the way of your farm work though!”

“Oh, no, it’s fine,” Maxine replied. “Thank you again for taking this on.”

“Of course!” Robin smiled, then turned back to her blueprint, which was set atop a makeshift table. “I’ve got some people coming to help out. Sebastian was just behind me leaving this morning – he should be here any minute. And then there’s Shane…”

“Shane?” Maxine’s confusion faded as she recalled the grumpy man she had met early one morning, when she had first moved in. Since that rude encounter, she had rarely seen him around. “Okay, sure…”

“Oh, trust me, when you get to know him, Shane’s a real sweetheart. Life’s been unfair to him, but he really tries his best to get back on his feet. That’s why I’ve been enlisting his help for my projects, whenever I can.”

“That’s very kind of you, Robin.”

“Well.” Robin shrugged. “If you heard the kinds of things he went through, growing up…” She shook her head. “He’s a teddy bear, that one. Give him a chance.”

Maxine nodded, lost in thought. Robin was so kind to everyone and gave them the benefit of the doubt. Even Maxine, who was a relative stranger, was being given all this help to make her farm a success. She wanted to return the favour, even a little bit, and decided it would be best to trust Robin’s judgment of character. “I will, I promise. Now, I’m going to go back inside and get ready for the day, and then –” She had been gesturing at her pajamas, to prove her point, when she made a horrifying discovery.

Robin laughed, though she didn’t get why Maxine was so distraught suddenly. Maxine excused herself and rushed back into the house. The initial shock of waking up had faded, and now that she could think more clearly, she realized exactly what sweater she was wearing. Or whose. Carefully, Maxine peeled off Sam’s dark blue hoodie, and gingerly placed it on the sofa she had left it after the concert night. Then she threw herself into the washroom, and slammed the door, catching the breath she didn’t know she was holding.

Maxine had meant to give it back. Obviously. But that night, after they had finally arrived back at the Valley, she was so disoriented from the long ride, and the alcohol, that she hadn’t even thought about it. She hadn’t even been capable of registering the embarrassment of falling asleep on his shoulder! That was saved for later that night, after quiet goodbyes and parting at the bus stop. He hadn’t said much, just smiled. One hand through his hair, the other holding his guitar case. It was only when he was out of sight that Maxine recalled why they had gotten a taxi in the first place, and sulked to herself the rest of the walk home.

The rest of the weekend was spent hungover and in a daze. His sweater stayed on the couch, as if mocking her. She wondered if she should wash it before returning it, or just stick it in his mailbox and run away? Indecisive, she ended up just staring at it from time to time, lost in thought. And maybe there was one time where she maybe took it to her face and breathed in that distinct boy smell. But that was just one time. Just out of curiosity. And then she realized what she was doing, yelled at herself to stop being weird, threw it back on the couch, and went outside to pull weeds.

Maxine vowed that she was going to return the sweater today or so-help-me-joba. Dressed and ready for the day, Maxine finally trudged back outside, Sirius following suite.

The sun was now hanging high in the sky, promising a productive day. Maxine scanned the land before her – green as far as the eye could see. Sure, not much had grown, but the soil no longer looked barren or dead, and the trees were starting to bear fruit, finally over the winter frost. Everything was going according to plan – at least, Maxine’s parents’ plan.

Carefully, Maxine went through her crops, assessing growth, fertilizing, and watering. She wasn’t the most adept at this, but the green buds were starting to become stems or something, and it felt as promising a sign as any. Maxine leaned close as she watered, marveling at all the insects crawling over the leaves.

“Are you okay?”

Maxine quickly turned, almost losing her balance. “Hey, Sebastian! I didn’t see you there.”

“I thought you fell down or something.” Sebastian was wearing his usual all-black attire, though today at least he wore a weather-appropriate black tee. He carried some planks of wood in his arms with apparent ease.

“No. Just looking at bugs.” Maxine cleared her throat and stood up. She watched him nod and start to walk away, then rushed to keep up with him. “How’s the construction thing going so far?”

“Not bad. Frame’s coming together pretty fast.” Sebastian shifted the planks as they walked, shooting her a curious look. “Did you enjoy the show the other day?”

“Oh, yeah…” Maxine said. The topic she prayed he would not bring up. “It was great…”

To her surprise, Sebastian laughed. He placed the planks down by the work bench Robin had set up. “You guys left so early – you didn’t get to see that we won the talent show.”

“Oh wow! Congratulations!” Maxine gasped. “That’s incredible! But you guys really deserved it.”

“I don’t know, we were up against some pretty stiff competition. And Sam pulled some last-minute moves that Abby and I really had to hit the ground running. What did you think of our setlist?”

There was no way around it. “I, uh, didn’t really get to hear it. I may have drank a little too much to listen properly…” Maxine admitted sheepishly, not meeting his eyes.

At this, Sebastian really laughed, throwing his head back, and saying something incomprehensible. The sound caught the attention of Robin, who had been hammering away at the greenhouse frame.

“Maxine, you’re back! Perfect. Come meet Shane.” Robin dragged behind her a man that Maxine had not seen in ages.

The man shuffled over, looking as if he was being taken against his will. But Robin rubbed his arm reassuringly, and he finally looked up, through his shaggy dark-almost-purple hair. “Hey.”

“H-hi.” Maxine said, about to offer her hand, then remembering how well that had gone last time. “I’m Maxine. Nice to meet you.”

“Shane,” he responded, shooting her a questioning look.

Robin admired the trio standing together, her hands on her hips, and her eyes soft. “Well, looks like we’re making a lot of progress, Maxine. In more ways than one.” She winked very clearly, causing Maxine’s face to warm. It was so blatant what she was doing. Especially when Robin then looked dramatically at her wrist, and said it was lunch time. “You kids have a little chat, take a break. I’m going to go pick up some more supplies in town!”

Too startled, Maxine just waved and watched her retreat. Shane turned to Maxine again. “We met before,” he said simply.

“Well. Yeah. When I first moved in.”

“Why didn’t you say that to Robin?”

The direct line of questioning startled Maxine, and even Sebastian, who was leaning against the work bench, eyeing the two curiously. “I, um, I assumed you forgot. I wasn’t trying to put you in a weird position or anything. I probably didn’t make a great first impression anyway.” She laughed awkwardly, trying to ease the tension of this weird conversation.

“You were fine. I’m not much of a morning person. Sorry,” Shane said gruffly, before turning away. “See you later.”

“Oh. I…no problem.”

Sebastian only shrugged when Maxine looked to him for some sort of explanation.


	10. Expectation, meet reality

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> two chapters in one day? after months of getting so caught up in work/life that i forgot to update? impossible!  
> if ur still reading, thank you :) feedback/comments are welcome!  
> the chapter after has one of my fave moments, plz look forward to it

Construction continued well into the week. Maxine was getting used to waking up to the sound of hammers and drills. Some days, it was just Robin making all the noise. Other days, Sebastian and Shane were there. Maxine kept herself busy with the crops, and pulling weeds, and setting up fencing to keep the wild animals at bay. She also took long walks in the forest, foraging for hours and reading under trees. She didn’t want to get in the way of the construction crew. At the end of the week, though, Maxine had to admit she was curious. That day, it was only Shane and Robin at the farm – Sebastian had taken on a new contract for a programming gig. His absence was a welcome reprieve – he had started teasing her about going all the way to the city for their concert, only to not pay attention to it.

Robin perked up at the sight of Maxine approaching. “Look! We’re nearly halfway done! The frame’s all up. Sturdiest thing in the world. Even better than your grandpop’s old one. Hurricane or hail storm, it’ll stay up and keep the plants humid.”

“That’s perfect!” Maxine said, her mind already picturing a greenhouse full of tropical flowers in the middle of winter.

“We’re just about done for the night. Shane, you did some good work. Thanks for your help today.”

Shane wiped the sweat off his forehead and nodded curtly. “No problem.”

“I’m going to head home for dinner. Do either of you want to join me? It’s Taco Thursdays!” Robin said in a singing tone. “We can “taco ‘bout” the next project after this greenhouse.” She laughed to herself. “Or, no shop-talk. I can zip it for once!”

Maxine smiled, but shook her head. “I’d love to, really, but I have to get to Pierre’s before he closes up for today.” The excuse slipped easily out of her mouth, though she had someone else in mind that she needed to visit.

“What about you, Shane? Got any dinner plans, hon?” Robin cajoled, elbowing him lightly in his slightly protruding belly.

“Maybe next time, Robin,” Shane said, a hint of a smile as he dodged her elbow. “I’m going to the bar. Then I’ll probably call it a night.”

“Alright, see you bright and early tomorrow!”

“Bright and early,” Shane repeated.

“Have a good night, kiddos!” With that, Robin waved and headed up the northern path, behind Maxine’s house, leaving the other two awkwardly standing by each other.

Maxine had not expected this situation to arise, where they would be alone together, even for a minute without some mediating third person. She opened her mouth, ready to make an excuse, but Shane beat her to it. “So, you headed into town?”

“Oh. Yeah! Let me just go grab my things…” Before waiting for his response, Maxine rushed inside, grabbed her backpack full of the produce she had gathered from earlier, and a cloth bag that contained one freshly laundered blue sweater. She took one look in the mirror – at the frenzied expression now on her face – and went back outside. This was it. She was really going to see Sam again. The anticipation, after so many days of procrastinating, was agony.

At the sight of Shane kicking the dirt, his hands in his pockets, Maxine suddenly realized her mistake. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to assume you were waiting for me. Actually. I mean, I thought – well, you didn’t have to do that! You could’ve gone – well, it’s convenient this way, isn’t it? That’s why you were asking me?”

A pause. “Are you okay?”

“I’m sorry! I’m fine!” Maxine took a deep breath, mentally smacking herself for not being more chill. It was just a sweater. Just. A sweater. Just Sam. All because of that, she wasn’t thinking clearly about everything else! Shane was already walking away, so Maxine followed. The silence between them was heavy. Maxine crossed her hands behind her back, as if to stop herself fidgeting. She bit her lip, trying to think of good topics to bring up. But Shane surprised her once more.

“Are you liking it here?”

Maxine studied Shane’s profile – he wasn’t looking at her – and wondered if he was really going to do this. Make small talk. With her. “Yeah. I mean, it’s been almost a couple months. I’m starting to get used to it, I guess.”

He shook his head. “I’ve been here for years, and I still don’t feel like I belong here. Or anywhere.”

She didn’t know how to respond to that.

“Forget I said that.” A frown began to spread across his face.

“Um…you’re from the city, then?”

“Yeah. Moved here with Jas when I graduated from school. It’s alright.”

“I know what you mean. I _loved_ living in the city. When I first came here, it kind of sucked. I mean, the internet craps out all the time, and I can barely get through to people on my cellphone. And the water kind of tastes…different…I know it’s a small thing, but…”

Shane laughed suddenly, and Maxine felt her heart leap. Emboldened, she kept talking. “But I really like it here now. It gets a bit easier not to miss my family. We send each other emails every week.”

“Must be nice. Guess I’m still adjusting.”

“Yeah. Helps that the people seem nice. And so helpful to each other.”

“Yeah…I’m starting to see that.”

Maxine noticed his frown had slowly faded, replaced by a contemplative look. To her naïve eyes, it almost looked like hope. Even if she didn’t know anything of what he had gone through to get here, she felt a burst of empathy towards him, and hoped that things would turn around, just as Robin had said.

“Hey,” Shane said suddenly, as they approached the town center. “If you wanna –”

“Maxine!” Abigail approached, smiling widely at the pair, her purple hair looking oddly orange in the late afternoon sun. “I’m so glad to see you! Feels like it’s been years since that concert. Oh, hi Shane!” She looked expectantly at Shane, who seemed to have clammed up completely. He put his hand up, as if to wave, then dropped it just as quickly. An odd sound came out of his mouth. He shot Maxine a look, and then turned and walked briskly towards the bar.

“What was that?” Abigail said, still smiling.

Maxine only shrugged and smiled back. She couldn’t help but feel proud that she had gotten through an entire conversation with the town grump! Progress! “Nice to see you too. I was just coming by to your store. I’ve got some things to sell – and I’m out of dog food.”

“I heard you got that stray from Marnie! I’ll have to see him some time. I lo-o-ove dogs. But my dad never let me get any pets – he’s allergic.” Abigail pulled a face, then laced her arm through Maxine’s, pulling them into the convenience store. “While you’re here, do you want to see what I got today?”

The bell dinged as they entered. Pierre peered out from behind his newspaper and grunted in greeting. Abigail ignored his call to do the inventory, as she pulled Maxine through the back door. This was the first time Maxine had ever been back there. She caught a glimpse of what looked like a large open living room, before being dragged through another door.

"Welcome to my humble abode!" Abigail's room was decorated wall to wall with posters of anime characters, and musicians, against a backdrop of swimming fish. There was a skull in the bookcase, and a decorative sword in the corner, which Maxine suspected had been part of a cosplay. Abigail’s drum set was in the corner, with long-forgotten stuffed animals propped against it. In another corner was a table with scattered cards, and an open Ouija board. But the main focus of the room was the TV, which was surrounded by bean bag chairs, and several gaming consoles strewed across the floor. “Wow,” Maxine said, as she took it all in.

Abigail dropped her book bag on the floor and plopped into one of the beanbag chairs. “Sit! Let me show you this book.” As Maxine lowered herself into the second beanbag, she stealthily tried to hide the cloth bag with the sweater behind her. Abigail rummaged in her own bag, and finally pulled out a hardcover book. “I found it at the library today, and literally read half this afternoon. It’s _amazing_. You have to borrow it.”

On the cover, a half-dressed man with flowing hair was holding a lithe woman, atop a pirate ship. In gold-embossed letters, the title read “ _In her shadows_.” “What is this?” Maxine said, smiling a little.

“Exactly what it looks like. A cheesy romance novel.”

“You read this kind of stuff? You don’t seem like the type,” Maxine said as she flipped through, her eyebrows raising.

“I know, I know. It’s not exactly high-brow material.” Abigail grabbed the book back. “But this series is the best. The author writes all her heroines as really strong, independent women, even for their time period. And the men are always these headstrong lug heads who become slobbering idiots when they fall in love. It’s kind of sweet.”

“Aww.” Maxine had to admit, she had a soft spot for stories like that – where people fell so head over heels, that they didn’t have to pretend to hide anything. That they could do away with pride or ego, and just be in love. She wondered if she had ever been so lost in love, over Jesse? “It’s nice to have that feeling, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Abigail sighed, a faraway look on her face. “I thought you had a boyfriend.”

“Me? No!” Maxine sputtered quickly. “Where did you get that idea?”

“Because…never mind.”

“I’m very much SINGLE. We broke up around Christmas actually.”

Abigail grimaced. “Sorry to hear that.”

“Yeah, well, it wasn’t very fun towards the end, anyway,” Maxine admitted, though she felt funny saying so out loud. She’d never talked much about the breakup, or about the relationship either. They had been the type of couple to not be affectionate around each other, that people at work were always surprised to remember they were still together. And she had long since shoved the memories of him out of her head, as if into a box, locked away and out of sight. “What about you? Anything exciting going on?”

“No.” Abigail frowned. “But he’s out there. I know he is! I just read my cards the other day, and they told me to expect someone far to become familiar. That could mean someone new is moving into town, or it’s a person I’ve overlooked…”

“Maybe a friend you already have?” Maxine waggled her eyebrows. “A close friend.”

Abigail scrunched up her face and roared with laughter. “If you’re talking about the two biggest dorks in town, then you are out of your MIND, girl. Sam and Seb are like my brothers!”

Maxine couldn’t help but laugh too. “It's nice you're so close, though.”

“Besides, they’re not really my type! You can have them.”

“Me? No way! That’s not what I meant at all – I mean, not that they’re not good, uh…partners…” Maxine gestured wildly, trying to search for the words. Her face was warming already.

“You should see your face, it’s killing me! Don’t worry, I was just teasing! Unless…you want it to be true.” Abigail’s face turned solemn at the last part, and Maxine was once again stricken with anxiety, causing Abigail to let out another laugh. “Wow, you’re too easy!! But in all seriousness. Anybody would be lucky to date either of those guys.”

“Right.” Maxine readjusted herself in her beanbag, not daring to make eye contact with the sweater. “So, is it true that Sam and Penny are…?”

Abigail’s eyes widened. “Oh, that?? That was years and years ago. I mean, was that even a real thing? I can’t remember.” She looked lost in thought. “Their moms certainly wanted it to be real. But whatever it was, it’s nothing now. Why do you ask?” Abigail asked in a very polite tone.

“Nothing. No reason. Just curious. Town gossip. You know.”

“Ohhhhh, well, if it’s town gossip you want, then you’ve definitely come to the right place!” Her eyes lit up. “But not much going on at the moment. I heard Haley wants to get a nose job for her birthday. Her parents are still overseas. Let’s see…what else…Grandpa George had his seasonal check up yesterday. Fit as a fiddle.” She ignored Maxine’s confused looks. “There’s some guy from the mountains who came by recently with some excellent gems he found – get this – in the trash! And, oh! Gus is introducing a new menu next week. What about Shane?”

“Huh? What about him?”

“He’s working at your farm with Robin, right? What do you think of him? Got a good read yet? It seems like you’re bonding.”

“Well. Robin said he’s a teddy bear. I’m still waiting on that, but I think I got a hint of it today.”

Abigail's eyes widened. “Oooh. Like a peek behind the wizard’s curtains.”

“…Right. He seems like a nice person. Underneath the gruff.”

“Hm…He's such a mystery, isn't he?" Abigail mused. "I bet he has some crazy tragic past, like a brooding love interest from a Bronte novel! I’ve always wondered what he was really like…He’s always drinking at the bar alone. Not so much now. We used to try to invite him to join us. I mean, we’re in the same room, why not hang out together? He never took us up on the offer though… Hey, you should join us! It’ll be fun!”

“Me?” Maxine asked, startled by the sudden change in topic.

“Yeah! Every Thursday and Friday night. We have a standing reservation for the pool table in the back. Come on. It’s not fun watching Sebastian beat Sam anymore. He needs a good ass-kicking.”

“I’ll be a major disappointment then,” Maxine said, but smiled anyway. “Maybe next time.” Thinking about the alcohol she had at the concert was enough to make her head spin.

“Abigail, help me close up, would you?” Pierre’s head suddenly appeared in the doorway.

“Oh, shoot!” Maxine scrambled to her feet. “Pierre! Are you closing? I just need to get some things…and I brought my produce to sell!” At that last bit, she tried to conceal her pride, but she couldn’t help letting out a grin. After all those weeks toiling away at the soil, that morning Maxine had woken to the surprising news that she’d managed to produce SOMETHING. Even if the vegetables were small and ugly and likely not that nourishing, Maxine Kwang was actually becoming a Farmer with a capital F.

Pierre only frowned, though. “It’s 5 o’clock. If I make an exception for you, then I have to make one for everyone.”

“Please…just some dog food then, for Sirius!” Maxine pulled out her phone, quickly flipped to the cutest photo of Sirius (though let’s be honest, they were all cute), and thrust it in Pierre’s scowling face. “You can’t say no to a puppy, can you?”

Pierre sighed loudly. “Just the food then. Abigail, ring her up. I’m going to sweep the front.”

“Yesssss!” Maxine let out a whoop, and began to follow him out the door, before he turned swiftly around again.

“You can drop your produce at that shipping bin on your farm – Mayor Lewis picks things up once a day.”

“Oh! Okay. That’s a lot easier,” Maxine said, realizing dumbly that that was what the mystery box was at the front of her farm. “Thanks for the tip. I’ll just get the food and be out of your hair.”

Abigail got up to follow. “Wait, you forgot something!” She grabbed the cloth bag on the floor, and casually peered inside, then paused. “What’s this?”

Busted. Maxine slowly turned around and stretched out her hand, careful to arrange an innocent expression on her face. “Thanks a lot.”

“Is this…” Abigail said, as she prodded and poked at the sweater, a slow grin growing on her face. “Isn’t this…???”

“He borrowed it from me that night at the concert! I mean, he loaned it to me! I borrowed it! I meant to give it back ages ago, I swear, but –”

Abigail was laughing now. “You should really get going, if you want to catch Sam. He usually sleeps early on Thursdays since he’s scheduled to open the store every Friday morning.”

“…Thanks…This doesn’t mean anything, you know.”

“I know.” Abigail nodded solemnly, then winked dramatically at Maxine, before handing her the bag. They exited her room and went to the storefront. Abigail made a big show of hastily grabbing the dog food from the shelves, scanning it, throwing the cash in the register, and shoving the food into Maxine’s arms, urging her to run.

Maxine rolled her eyes but all the same walked swiftly to the front door, waving goodbye. Pierre didn’t even look up from sweeping the floor with his broom. “Don’t let Abigail get to you,” he merely said, his back turned.

Maxine let out a strange guttural sound and left. Outside, she quickly oriented herself to where she was, then headed towards Sam’s house – that house that she realized she hadn’t been to since meeting Sam that night, months ago. Before long, before she could really prepare herself, she had arrived. The house looked older, bluer in the daylight. She hesitated, took a few shallow breaths, then knocked on the door.

Slowly, it creaked open, to reveal a middle-aged woman with dark red braided hair. She blinked in confusion, an unreadable expression on her face. “Can I help you?”

“Hi, I’m Maxine. Um, I don’t think we’ve met. I moved into Grandpa Hugo’s farm a couple months ago.”

“I see,” the woman said slowly. She seemed as if in a daze.

There was a pause, and Maxine shifted uncomfortably. “I’m actually looking for Sam, if he’s available?”

“He’s…” the woman looked behind her. “Oh, I don’t think he’s home right now.”

Maxine was startled – she had not even considered this possibility. “That’s okay. Could you please return this to him, then?” She handed the bag to the woman, who studied it as if it were a ticking time bomb, and not just a bag with a sweater. “It’s just a sweater,” Maxine emphasized, almost as if to herself too.

The woman nodded slowly and looked again at Maxine expectantly.

“Well…goodbye!” Maxine said, not knowing what else to do. She didn’t even look back as she hastily turned and walked away, until she was far enough to peek. At the bridge, she could see the door had closed. Firstly, she had probably made a horrible impression on this woman who was very likely Sam’s mother! And secondly…the moment that she had been imagining all week was now over. And she hadn’t even seen him. Maxine didn’t know whether she was more relieved or disappointed. Frowning all the same – at her dumbness, at her unrealistic expectations, at his absence – she decided to go to the beach to stare at the cold mysterious ocean, hoping for perspective.


	11. The beach

Sam sat on the beach, mindlessly running his hands through the sand, fingers numb to the sensation, as he watched his little brother studiously build a castle. Usually a goofy and energetic kid, Vincent was quietly brooding today. It wasn’t a total surprise, though. It was only a week until the anniversary of the day that their father had left the family, to go overseas and fight a war that nobody liked talking about. Especially his mother.

She was early this year. Going through the mourning rituals, that was. Making his favourite foods and playing his old records. She’d gotten out that gigantic framed portrait and placed it atop the fireplace mantel. All day, she would polish at its glass until it was blindingly shiny. It was a sore sight, because it made it seem like he had already died. Which he hadn’t. There was no way. Sam was so sure he would have felt some visceral epiphany, some physical sensation of his father’s absence in this world…he was sure of it. And yet…that wasn’t very realistic, was it? Five years was a long time without any news, though.

The morose thoughts were interrupted by a soft shuffling sound. Sam instinctively turned around and was met with the view of muddy boots. his gaze followed the boots upwards, and eventually he saw the farmer, gazing right back down at him. “Hey!”

“Hi,” Maxine said, smiling sheepishly. “How’s it going?”

“Not bad,” Sam said, reflexively answering in his customer-service voice. He had just gotten off a very long shift at Joja Mart. “Yourself?”

“Alright. Do you mind if I sit here too?”

She gestured at the spot beside him, and he nodded. He wasn’t expecting company, but it was nice to be distracted, even if for a moment.

“What brings you here?”

“Oh.” Sam waved vaguely towards his brother. “He wanted to get out of the house for a bit. My mom’s being weird.” He hesitated, realizing he had said more than he wanted. He glanced surreptitiously at Maxine, who was biting her lip and looking as if she would rather be anywhere but here. Sam could have kicked himself for bringing down the mood. “Sorry, it’s nothing important. What about you?” He ran a nervous hand through his hair, suddenly feeling like he was blowing this conversation.

Maxine didn’t seem to notice, though. Yet. Maybe he had imagined her discomfort. She looked out at the waters and grinned, as if to herself. “So, I was doing some farming today, and I realized that I’m a little in over my head. Yes, after all these months living here, I only realized this today. I don’t know what I’m doing here.”

Sam straightened up his posture, sensing that she was about to be overly truthful and open again, like that night at the concert. Ever since then, he had wondered if she remembered all those things she had said. “You think it’s not going well?”

“Yeah. I mean…” Maxine sighed, still not taking her eyes from the water. “On the other hand, I guess that’s with everything in life, isn’t it? You suck at something in the beginning, but then you put in your time and work hard and actually try, and something better comes out of it. Not the _best_ , but it’s _something_. And someday, you look back and you laugh at how naïve you were for assuming you would be perfect right off the bat.”

Sam nodded, thinking of his music. To say he was great was arrogant, but he had certainly come a long way from secretly teaching himself guitar, back in middle school. “Not everyone’s cut out to be a farmer, anyway. The fact that you’re even trying right now – trying this totally unconventional job that people our age don’t usually do – well, that’s pretty commendable already.”

Maxine cocked her head to the side, and there was a look in her eyes, almost as if she was about to cry. The look disappeared just as soon. It must have been a trick of the light. “Thanks.” A pause. “Do you want to see my progress so far?” Before he could even answer, Maxine was rummaging in her bag, and pulled out a shriveled white _thing_.

“What the hell is that?” Sam asked, as he burst into laughter and took it.

“A parsnip!” She said it so enthusiastically, and looked so pleased with herself, that he had to laugh again.

“That is the puniest parsnip I have ever seen in my life. Good job.”

“Thank you. I’m really proud of it.”

The laughter died as Vincent approached the pair. “Brother, can we go home yet?”

“Vince, this is Maxine. Have you met her before? She’s the new farmer at Uncle Hugo’s place.”

“I wanna go home,” Vincent repeated, ignoring Maxine.

“Hey, hey. Come on. A few more minutes, bud. I want to see more of that castle!”

“It’s not a castle. It’s a battleground.”

“Oh…Vince…” Sam hadn’t been expecting that. His mind went blank of any appropriate response. He suddenly felt very conscious of the girl sitting next to him, at the absolute worst time ever.

“Some kids were talking about the war yesterday,” Vincent continued. “They said there’s a lot of casualties. I didn’t know what that meant, so I looked it up in the library when Miss Penny wasn’t looking…” He was kicking at the sand, not meeting Sam’s eyes. “I got scared after.”

“What are you scared of?” Sam asked, keeping his tone light. As if that would make a difference. He knew where this conversation was going.

“That he’ll never come back.” Vincent continued toying with the sand, but Sam could tell that he was on autopilot, holding his breath for whatever Sam would say next. And it was hard not to notice how much finality was in Vincent’s tone, as if he were speaking the truth, instead of asking a question. And who could blame him? It had been years since his father had been home, literal years in which Vincent had grown up from a crawling toddler into an elementary school student. Knew how to read grade level books. How to ride a bike. How to tie his own shoe laces and go to the store to pick up milk and walk home on his own.

Yet the memory of their father had never wavered. The weight of his absence was constantly felt, thanks to their mother, and her insistence to honour the ghosted figure each day. She talked about him as if he was there. Had never left. She always started disciplining with “Your father would not approve of this…”

But the truth was, he wasn’t there. He wasn’t there, and he likely wasn’t coming back. And yet…

“Don’t believe a word they say, Vince,” Sam said, a little too fiercely. “They don’t know what they’re talking about.”

It was gut wrenching to watch Vincent swell with relief. “You really think so?”

“Yeah,” Sam said, digging in too deep to backtrack. “Trust me. Everything’s going to be fine.”

“Yeah,” Vincent repeated. He smiled shakily, then hopped up with renewed vigour, and ran into the waters, a pail in hand.

Sam sighed heavily, watching his brother screech excitedly as the tide came in and lapped over his knees. His mother would be first in line to offer false hope to Vincent, and Sam had always questioned her move. But, confronted with the situation, he realized he didn’t want to let his brother down. Not yet.

“You did what you had to do,” Maxine said suddenly, breaking into his thoughts. She had been so silent throughout, that he had forgotten to worry about her hearing all of this. He almost wanted to deflect, to make a joke or change the subject, but then he thought, fuck it. This was his reality, and it wasn’t going away anytime soon.

“You think so?” Sam asked.

“Yeah…” They continued watching Vincent, who was now humming to himself as he poured the bucket of water right over the battleground he had constructed and started mushing it into a new configuration. “I mean, what’s the alternative? He’s just a kid. No kid should be going through this. So, if you can postpone whatever heartache comes, then…why not?”

“Right. Exactly! Vince should be enjoying his childhood, as long as he can. It’s not fair to have to lose his innocence any sooner. If he knew what was really going on, it would crush him completely. He’s too young for that…but who’s to say that this’ll all end badly, anyway?” Was it really so wrong to still be hopeful, after all this time?

Unlike Vincent, Sam had been forced to face a different reality at a young age. Without warning, without preparation, his father had gone one morning. And without knowing how, his mother turned to him to take on a bigger role in the household, to raise Vincent. The burden she had placed on his shoulders… No, he wasn’t going to complain. He didn’t have the space for it. In the cramped house filled with his mother’s guilt and deluded hope and endless worry, there was no room for Sam to feel sorry for himself too. There was only motivation to get the hell out of the Valley, make something of himself, and move on.

“You’re a good brother.”

Sam flushed as their eyes met. “Thanks.” The sun was setting by now, casting a dreamlike orange glow on everything, including her. “I try.”

“That makes all the difference.”

She broke eye contact first, turning to face the waters.

Another beat of a moment, then he looked away too.


	12. And things get better over time

“You’re a miracle worker, Robin.” Maxine stood with her arms across her chest, as she gazed at the greenhouse now standing tall and beautiful and complete, beside her farm house. Though she had already had a very productive Friday, the excitement of having a new greenhouse was almost convincing Maxine to get back to work.

From the outside, it matched her grandpa’s old one, but inside housed far greater tech than he had ever had. The gleaming glass walls - through which Maxine and Robin had spent several minutes making funny faces at each other, to Sebastian's furtive amusement - were unassuming, but held within it state-of-the-art insulating panels, adjustable screens, and high-tech lighting controls. Not only that, but the building was furnished with a wall of trellises and countless levels of shelves that promised infinite planting possibilities. There was a small fountain in the back, auto-misters on the ceiling, and an intricately placed stone walkway. Maxine’s eyes glazed over at the thought of year-round strawberries and pumpkins, or every inch of the place covered with succulents and flowers. She wondered if she had the strength to haul in a bench on her own later.

“Well, I couldn’t have done it without these two,” Robin said humbly from beside Maxine. She beamed widely at Sebastian and Shane, who were putting away the tools and leftover construction materials. “Let me know when you have another project in mind. This was a fun one! Thanks for hiring us, Maxine!”

“Trust me, I will be in touch pretty soon,” Maxine replied, still in awe. It had only been two weeks of work, and now she somehow had a greenhouse!

“Phew, now that we’ve accomplished the job, it’s time to relax!” Robin cheered, stretching her arms overhead. “See you at the bar tonight?”

“Yeah, come, you haven’t been there before, right?” Sebastian said as he joined them.

At this statement, Maxine gave pause. She’d only been living in the Valley for two months, and had walked by the local bar countless times, but no, she had never set foot in there. She heard it could get pretty busy – with nearly all of the town in attendance – on Friday nights, though. “Sure,” she said, smiling. “What about you, Shane?”

He looked up from the wheelbarrow and a flush spread over his face. “Can’t, I got plans with Marnie and Jas tonight.”

“Plans? But you’re always at the bar,” Sebastian said, before Robin whacked him discreetly on the arm.

"What are you up to?" she asked sweetly.

“It’s my birthday,” Shane muttered.

“Oh. Happy birthday,” Sebastian said hastily.

“Shane! You never said anything! I would have given you the day off!” Robin yelped as she grabbed Shane’s arm. “Happy birthday!! You’re another year older and wiser. I’m so proud to see you grow and -”

“Robin, you’re embarrassing me,” Shane grumbled, though he smiled lightly.

“At least stop by the bar. My treat. For your birthday,” Sebastian said. “Abby and Sam will be there too. We can play pool.”

“Next time,” Shane promised. “Thanks, though. Marnie wants to take us out for dinner tonight. Jas is pretty excited.”

“Happy birthday!” Maxine said, genuinely. “Sounds like a lovely evening.” Shane nodded in agreement.

Soon, Robin’s old truck was filled up with the leftover construction supplies, and Maxine was waving at her and Sebastian, with plans to see them later tonight. Maxine then returned to the porch, where Shane was putting his stuff into his backpack. She sat down, watching him for a moment. “So...how’s it feel to be another year older? Any birthday wishes? How old are you, by the way?”

Shane paused in thought, before answering. “30 today.” He was silent, and Maxine sensed he had a lot on his mind. “I’m going to tell you a secret, and don’t get all weird about it, okay?”

“I won’t,” Maxine said, shooting him a confused look.

He kicked at the dirt, his eyes on his shoes. “I seriously never thought I would make it to today.”

“What do you mean?”

Shane let out a small sigh. “Well. You probably know by now that I’m like...the town loser.”

“No, you’re not!” Maxine sputtered in protest. “I never thought or heard that.”

“Yeah, well. You haven’t been here long,” Shane argued. He looked away again. “The way my life was going the last few years, I really thought 30 was a pipe dream. It seems like a dream, that I made it. But it isn’t.”

“Nope, you’re really 30.” Maxine paused before speaking again. “Are you okay?”

Shane began to laugh, the last thing Maxine would have expected coming out of his mouth. “That’s the thing! I _am_ okay. I’m 30 and I’m okay!” He laughed again. “I thought I’d drink myself to death by now, or worse. That I’d leave Marnie and Jas behind. That I’d keep letting them down. You know Jas is my god-daughter? She calls me her dad sometimes, but I’m definitely not father material. I always worried about letting her down the most.”

“Shane -”

“But I didn’t,” Shane continued, his voice growing louder and more steady. “I didn’t, and I’m still here, looking at 30. And I made it. And I’m going to be there for Jas to grow up.” He met Maxine’s widened eyes again. “I didn’t tell anybody this, but today’s not just my birthday – I’ve been sober for six weeks.”

“That’s amazing!! Shane...I mean, I didn’t know you were going through all that. I’m really proud of you.” Now that he had mentioned it, Maxine realized there had been something different about Shane in the last little while, compared to when they had first met. He carried himself differently, a little taller, a new kind of energy around him.

“Thank you,” Shane said, appearing relieved. “I’m glad I got to work on your farm. I mean, it was looking pretty bleak back there. I really thought I would fall off the wagon every night. I was so _angry_ every morning, even just going to work. But then Robin asked me to join the construction crew, and, well, you know. Money’s been good and steady. I can start paying back Marnie finally, and even spoil Jas a little. I’m eating and sleeping good for once. And I’m 30. Things are getting better.”

“Things are getting better,” Maxine repeated. “I should be thanking you, for the greenhouse. I mean, you’re really good at construction work. There were so many days that Robin had other things to do, and you knew exactly what to do, and managed Sebastian at the same time! That’s something to be proud of too!”

“Thanks," Shane said again, his voice now quiet. "So, I guess in answer to your question...I wish things would keep going like this." He smiled nervously, as if embarrassed by all the praise and attention, and began fiddling with his hands. Then he caught sight of his watch. "Hey, look at the time! I gotta go home. Jas said I have to be back by 6, or I don’t get my birthday present. See you around? Another project soon?”

Maxine nodded fervently and watched him walk away, wondering at the sudden change in his personality. Her first impression of him was clearly very inaccurate! Maxine suddenly felt the urge to rush to the bar, so she could talk about it with Robin, who had been avidly talking up Shane every chance she could get. She rushed into her house, and to the bedroom, only to be stopped by Sirius leaping towards her.

“Not now,” Maxine responded, as if Sirius could understand her. “I gotta go discuss with Robin the good news! And besides, Sebastian invited me to the bar, and I haven’t been yet! I can’t believe it’s been two months and -”  
Sirius barked.

“Okay, okay. You wore me down.” She let out a laugh and patted Sirius on the head. “Let me get ready, then we’ll have a quick walk, and _then_ I go out.” As much as she wanted to spend more time with the townspeople, and see what the bar was like on a Friday night – and she vowed to limit herself to only one drink tonight – she couldn’t say no to Sirius’s puppy-dog eyes!

* * *

 “Slow down, Sirius!” A half hour later, Maxine found herself being dragged into town, Sirius eagerly pushing the limits of his owner’s love (and stamina). She guessed he was heading for the beach – that dog seemed to _love_ running into the ocean, to Maxine’s bewilderment. Why did he hate baths so much, then? “We don’t have time for the beach today!”

Sirius barked in response, and continued rushing through the town square as if his life depended on it. Halfway across, Maxine could spot Sebastian ducking into the tavern, and she had half an inkling to yell for his attention, and let him know she would be late. But he had already disappeared, the door shutting resolutely behind him. Maxine looked back at Sirius who had finally stopped to sniff the large oak tree by the graveyard. As Maxine turned away to give the dog some privacy, she heard the sound of a door slamming, and looked around in search of the source. When she realized, she ducked behind the tree, trying not to be seen.

“I already dropped off his inhaler and a set of PJs; they’re in the red backpack. Ask Marnie if you don’t see it,” Sam was saying into the phone, propped between his head and shoulder. He stood just outside his house, hastily unfurling his sweater and putting it on as he began walking towards the river. A large duffel bag was hanging precariously from his other shoulder. “Yeah, and I got Bun-bun too. Thanks again Pen. Tell him I’ll get him tomorrow after school. Maybe she’ll stop losing her marbles at everything I say by then. What? No, you don’t have to. No. Yeah, I’ll be fine. Seriously, thanks for cancelling your date. I know how important tonight was, so, I owe you one, Pen! Yeah, yeah, I _know_. Geez, nobody’s around, stop worrying... Okay, let me know. Yeah, call you later.” With that, Sam shoved his phone into his pocket, and let out a sigh.

Maxine frowned. Once again, she was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and it was going to be extremely hard to pretend she hadn't heard all of that, given their proximity. And as much as she wanted to slip away into the shadows, Sirius did not seem to get the memo. Finished with his business, he began barking and cautiously approached Sam, to Maxine's growing alarm. _Busted._

“Whoa, there! Where did you come from?” Sam startled, almost dropping his duffel bag into the river. He glanced over and caught sight of Maxine. “Is this the infamous Sirius?” A slow smile spread across his face as he leaned down and offered his hand for Sirius to smell. And within seconds, Sirius was trying to clamber onto Sam’s lap, to his growing amusement. “He’s a friendly one, isn’t he?”

Feeling silly, Maxine stepped out of the tree's shadows, and approached the pair.

“So,” Sam said, not meeting her eyes, “you probably heard that conversation.”

“I...did,” Maxine admitted, smiling apologetically. “I’m sorry. Really. I didn’t mean to. I was -”

“It’s fine.” Sam waved a hand dismissively, his other hand still on Sirius. “My mom’s freaking out. As usual.” At her confused look, Sam added, “Because today’s the anniversary day. Of my dad leaving.” He exhaled sharply. “Officially five years. Five long fricking years.”

Maxine was quiet, remembering the beach. “You want to talk about it?”

“Not really.” He scrunched up his face, eyes closing briefly. “Hey, you going to the bar? Seb mentioned he invited you.”

“Yeah,” Maxine said, slightly concerned by how easily Sam kept his tone light. “But later. I have to finish walking Sirius first.”

“Mind if I join you?”

“N-not at all.” Maxine watched as Sam stood, dusting his pants off, and securing the duffel in his arms. Standing so close, she was suddenly reminded of how much taller he was than her. Her plans to hurry home so she could get to the bar were quickly forgotten.


	13. Twenty questions

“You’re going to think it’s silly.”

“Tell me, seriously. I won’t laugh.”

Sharing the sofa in Maxine’s living room was turning out to be an ordeal. Maxine had not realized just how small the beat-up blue sofa was, until Sam was occupying almost two thirds of it, with his broad frame. She could tell how uncomfortable he was, by the way he kept repositioning himself, as if acutely aware how much space he occupied. It was almost laughable. She tried to stay stock still on her side, in contrast, to wordlessly reassure him she was fine.

The obligatory tour of the farm was already done – he hadn’t been there since her grandfather had been alive, after all. And now, after having spotted all the changes both outside and in the house – and after several minutes of Sam lamenting the long-gone collection of Grandpa Hugo’s extensive musical records – he was asking her what she had in mind for the rest of the season. The sun had already set long ago, and Sam had promised that, as soon as Sebastian texted back that he could come over, he would be out of her hair.

“I’ve never really told anyone this, though,” Maxine insisted.

“What, you don’t trust me?” Sam let out a slow almost-cocky smile, and was looking at her with such mischief that her heart skipped a beat. She decided the safest path was to ignore that question.

“Well,” she started, wringing her fingers tightly, “I know farmers are supposed to grow fruits and veggies and feed people...That's what my Grandpa did when he was here...but I keep imagining something different.”

“Like what?”

“Like...a flower farm.”

“Flowers?” Sam whipped his head towards the window, his eyes narrowing. “You don’t have that already?”

“No, those are all wildflowers. Dandelions and daffodils. Actually, I was supposed to clear them up for my crops, but I couldn’t bring myself to yet. But in the future, for my farm...I was thinking of sunflowers. Just sunflowers. A whole sea of them.” And as she spoke the words that she had not admitted to anyone, had held deep within her heart as the ultimate vision of personal happiness, she felt this rush of determination. And almost immediately it faded, replaced by embarrassment and a crimson flush over her face. “Sounds pointless, right?”

“Not at all,” he said, still looking out the window. “Sounds like a dream. It’s your farm – you should do whatever you want with it.” The solemnity in his voice caused the ambition to bubble again.

She’d been thinking of it for a while now, and wanted so badly for it to come true – to wake up and look out the window to only see yellow. And then to wade through a field of golden sunflowers towering over her, to stand in their midst and sway with them in the wind. But it wasn’t just that, in the grand scheme of things. Maxine was even more hesitant to accept the greater truth, which she had only begun to recognize: she wanted to keep being a farmer. She wanted to get better at it, to be successful, and to make herself proud. She realized it had been ages – years, probably – since she had felt this way. Awake. Had goals. Did things for herself.

“What about you?”

“Me?” Sam turned back in his seat, almost knocking into her with his knees.

“Yeah. What kind of...um...dreams are you chasing?” Maxine stuttered. She’d had enough of being in the hot spot.

Sam frowned, lost in thought. “I still want our band to be successful. Become mainstream. But I’m starting to wonder if that’s even realistic.”

“What do you mean? You guys won that contest at the bar the other night, hands down. And with original songs, too! Not everyone has that kind of talent!”

He grinned briefly, then ran a hand through his already messed-up hair. “Yeah, well. My mom thinks I should put away my guitar, and start applying for business school. She thinks since I already work at Joja, I could eventually work my way up to corporate, in the city. I mean, it’d definitely be a lot easier – I already have the connections – but it’s just so...so...”

“Soul sucking?”

“Exactly!” Sam exclaimed. “But it’s not like I’m doing her any favours, these days. Just yesterday, she was arguing that my dad probably wouldn’t be happy if he knew I was still living at home, bumming around...whatever that means. She said a lot of crazy things...” His expression hardened, as if realizing what he had admitted.

“Is your mom okay?” Maxine asked gently. “I mean, today’s the day of -”

“Fine, fine. Nothing a little space won’t cure,” Sam responded dismissively, forcing a laugh. “It’s the same dance every year. Thank god Seb’s got a spare couch for times like these. And anyway, why worry about the future when there’s only the here and now?”

Maxine couldn't help but notice his tone. She wondered if he regretted telling her so much at the beach the other day. Maybe he'd had enough of talking about it - maybe he'd confided in, well, _Penny_ , as Maxine had figured out from the phone call earlier. Maybe all she could do now was distract him. She decided to follow the abrupt change in topic. “So...improvising? How’s that working out for you?” Maxine wanted to punch herself - what kind of distraction technique was that?? “Not that I’m questioning what you’re doing! I’m just wondering because – well, because I’m kind of aimless right now. And if I stop to think about the future, even for a second, I start freaking out.”

But Sam didn’t seem to take offense. “Hey. Things are going to get better. For both of us,” he said, patting her on the shoulder briefly. “But if there’s anyone who will pull through, it’s you. You’re one of the smartest most hard-working people I know!”

“Thanks,” Maxine replied quietly, her face blanching. “You want to watch some TV?” she asked, already fumbling for the remote. He nodded, as the sound of a cheesy rom-com began playing in the background. Relieved to have a break from talking, Maxine closed her eyes and exhaled, not daring to look to the person beside her. Her heart was pounding and she wondered if he could tell.

She wanted to go back to a time when words meant less. When she didn’t try to dissect and analyze and inject so much into so little. When a sweater was just a sweater, and a pat on the back was just friendly encouragement. She wanted to go back to when people helped you out of the rain because they were nice and you were a clumsy lost stranger. When everything was small and nothing meant anything at all. She wanted to not know that this guy was the one who worked harder than anyone  _she_ knew - someone who took care of his brother, looked out for his mother, went to work every day, and still had time to pursue his dreams in music. She wanted to just stop whatever this was, because she was making this worse for herself, and she knew that if she kept going, kept riding out whatever this was, she would probably break her own heart.

He didn’t seem to notice the dilemma going through her mind, instead making a funny remark about what was going on in the movie. She laughed – it sounded fake to her ears, and she forced herself to focus. They spent the rest of the evening like that. She was glad for the distraction, to get lost in her thoughts. But between commercials, it seemed like Sam was immune to silence. Soon, Maxine was telling him about the office job she had before coming to the Valley, and he told her about how he ended up being employee of the month at Joja Mart, despite the manager hating him. She told him about Jesse – her ex from hell, and he told her about – well, he didn’t so much tell her, as allude to the fact that he used to run from gaggles of love-struck fans at concerts. They traded stories about their time living in the city – they’d only grown up an hour apart – and the common places they used to haunt. Along the way, tales of Sam’s exploits with Sebastian and Abigail wove their way through, hinting at Seb’s dark humour and Abigail’s hopelessly romantic approach to life. Sam talked about how Vincent still slept with a night light, but that he was the bravest kid Sam had ever met. With each word bred renewed comfort, a sense that Maxine was starting to belong in the Valley, starting to actually know these people. Along the mess that was this journey, better days ahead were being promised.

She forced herself to relax, to tease him, and to believe wholeheartedly that this was the kind of night that made friends of strangers. _Just_ friends. She didn’t dare stare longer than necessary, tried not to laugh a second later than she should. She refused to wonder what it would be like to...forget it.

They fell asleep to the sound of crappy infomercials, Sirius dozing between them on the already cramped sofa. Only the TV illuminated the room. It was the best night of sleep Maxine had gotten in a long while, and Maxine was all too sorry to be abruptly woken by the sound of urgent knocking on her front door.


	14. The past comes knocking

Sleepily, Maxine shuffled to the front door and peered through the blinds, then quickly ducked to the ground. Back on the couch, Sam had finally stirred from the incessant knocking. His hair was a mess, flattened on one side from the couch, and sticking up on the other. If Maxine hadn’t been in the midst of panic, she would have found it charming. “Whozzit?” he asked as he rubbed his eyes.

“Jesse!” Maxine hissed from the floor. This was bad. Unbelievable. A nightmare.

Sam perked up. “Jesse? Your Jesse?”

“Yes! My Jesse! Not my Jesse, but YES! That guy! What the hell is he doing here? How?”

The shadow behind the cloth blinds moved back and forth. “Maxine? Open up! Please, I just want to talk to you!” Another tap at the door. “I can see your shadow, you know!”

Maxine let out some choice expletives, then noticed Sam peering at her with a mix of concern and amusement. Realizing how silly she was being, she began to stand. She wished she could rewind time to a few minutes ago, when she had been in ignorant, unconscious bliss...

“Do you want me to send him packing?” Sam asked. “Tell me what to do. Anything.”

“No, no, I just...” Maxine trailed off, at a loss. “I’ll just see what he wants, shall I?” _Like a normal human being,_ she thought to herself. Dusting her knees, she stood tall, and tousled her hair lightly. Too bad she didn’t have time to brush her teeth. Exhaling sharply, Maxine opened the door, and greeted the tall lanky, slicked-back dark-haired man wearing a full suit and large hipster glasses.

“Maxine,” he said, as he took her in. "My sweet, beautiful, amazing Maxine..."

“Jesse,” Maxine returned, with as much confidence as she could muster. “Nice to see you here...” She tried to duck but soon found herself pulled into an embrace.

"I'm so glad to see you, I – who’s this?” Jesse let go of Maxine, and pointed at Sam, who had stealthily appeared behind them.

“So, you’re Jesse?” Sam jumped in, sizing the man up. Maxine suddenly felt exceedingly short between them. She wanted very keenly for the ground to open and swallow her up right this instant. To say this was a nightmare had been an understatement – no, this was her personal hell.

“Yes.” The arrogance in Jesse’s voice was unmistakable. "Jesse. Maxine's boyfriend."

"Boyfriend? No you aren't, Jesse! Not for months!" Maxine sputtered, almost defensively (for reasons unknown...) while Sam was biting his lip, as if trying to tamper down a laugh.

"Technicality," Jesse shrugged. "And who are you?"

“I’m –”

“He’s –”

Their eyes met for a mere second, and then Maxine blurted out a single thoughtless statement: “Well, _he's_ the boyfriend.” The silence that followed was deafening, until, to her utter disbelief, Sam was sliding an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in.

“Yeah. So. Ahem. Can we help you?” he said, his voice half-strangled. Maxine shot him a look that she hoped would convey a thousand apologies and a million thank yous, without Jesse noticing.

But he was clearly too taken aback by the news, and blinked rapidly at the two. “That certainly puts a damper on what I came to say. Maxine I'd like to talk to you alone.”

“No, no. Anything you need to say to her, you can say in front of me,” Sam insisted, already leaning into the role.

“E-exactly,” Maxine agreed. “Besides, what else is there to say? We haven’t talked in months, Jess.”

“It’s about – well, it’s about a lot of things,” Jesse said, fidgeting with the rim of his glasses. He always did that when he was preparing for a big meeting – Maxine used to find it endearing. “Your job. Your parents. Us.”

“My parents?” Maxine let Sam’s arm slide off as she stepped toward Jesse. “What happened?”

“They’re fine. Let’s just talk outside. Please?” Jesse implored, and Maxine finally nodded. She shot Sam a look, and resigned, he let the front door close between them. Maxine gestured at the porch steps, sitting on one end while Jesse made himself comfy on the other. The morning light was just beginning to cut through the clouds, promising a beautiful day.

Jesse was first to break the silence. “I’ve missed you.” He leaned over, as if to reach out to her, but then stopped. “I thought about you a lot after Christmas. Everyone at work asks how you are, all the time.”

“That’s sweet; I miss them sometimes,” Maxine sighed. “Feels like a lifetime ago that I was there.”

“You can still come back,” Jesse said quickly. “That’s what I came here to tell you – it was all a mistake! You shouldn’t have been fired in the first place. Turns out old Robertson was cutting corners so he could pocket a bit extra at the holidays. So, they booted him and I got his job. And now I can get you your old job back – or any job you want! Just name the department, and I’ll have them get the paperwork done tonight. We can go back tomorrow like nothing’s changed.”

“It was all a mistake?” Maxine’s mouth fell open as she tried to process this. “Everyone thought I was such a joke when I left...said I deserved to get fired... I can’t believe this...”

“It’ll be just like things were before,” Jesse continued, excitement growing. “You just said yourself that you missed it.”

“Yeah, well...” Maxine grimaced. “Honestly, I haven’t talked to any of our coworkers since I got fired. Nobody really reached out after.”

“Okay. Who cares what they think?” Jesse said, switching tracks. “ _I_ missed you! And I still love you. What about all the stuff we planned together? You’re just going to throw away the seven years we shared? Our vision for the future? Taking over the company together? The two kids – one of each? The white picket fence, big oak tree in the front yard with the swing, all that American-dream stuff?”

“I have that here too. I have, like, five hundred trees on this property. I don’t really need the suburbs anymore,” Maxine joked feebly.

“Well, what about me? You said back in Christmas that you just needed time to think, and I gave that to you. But then you just up and disappeared to this town in the middle of nowhere. And now you're with this, this... _guy_...he certainly looks like he has his life together.”

Maxine rolled her eyes. Of course no one would meet the standards of Jesse Pao, business man extraordinaire, with his three piece suit, espresso shots, and Bluetooth always at the ready. He hadn't made the 30 under 30 list for nothing. She couldn't help but feel affected by what Jesse was saying though. All the memories he was sparking, of a life long over. She had no retort, no explanation. The last time she had seen him, he had let her leave only with the promise of another discussion, another chance. But she hadn’t really changed her mind since then. He was still Jesse. Predictable, stubborn, work-obsessed Jesse. And she wasn’t the Maxine she used to be.

“I’m sorry,” she earnestly replied, not meeting his eyes. “I just can’t be with you anymore.” What a mess this was becoming. “How did you even find me here?”

“Your mom told me,” Jesse said glumly. “So this is where she grew up, huh?”

“Yeah.” Across the lake, the flowers were beginning to bloom in shades of red and purple, contrasting against the lush green grass and weeds that were spreading like wildfire. Little white petals were budding high up in the trees, promising fruit in a few months. The wind carried the sound of early birds squawking, and a crispness that renewed Maxine with every breath. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced, back in the city.

“I can see why she hated it,” Jesse scoffed. “No decent phone service for miles. I could barely get through my emails this morning. And all I smell is dirt. How long have you and this guy been shacking up?” He nodded at the door behind them.

“It’s not like that. He’s...a...” Maxine started, then caught a glimpse of Jesse’s face. That face he got when he stubbornly refused the reality before him. Like when sales pitches didn’t go his way, or that first time Maxine had broken up with him. She exhaled sharply, placing her head in her hands. “It’s been a while. Getting serious. He’s really nice, you’d like him.”

“Just hear me out though. I want you to come back with me.”

“I figured. And I can’t.”

Jesse nodded vigorously. “Will this change your mind about us?”

Maxine peeked through her fingers, and saw the small velvet red box slide into the space between them. Before she could say anything though, Sam appeared in the front door window, wearing half his shirt and waving a toothbrush in his hand.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. What’s going on here?” he asked, spewing small bubbles of foam.

“Jesse,” Maxine said with heavy exasperation as she stood up, “let’s just have some pancakes, okay? It’s so early. I can’t even think right now how to respond.” She watched his face contort from a scowl to resignation. Then he stood too, stuffing the little box into his pocket, and shrugged his shoulders.

“What the hell. I love pancakes.”

* * *

 

Over the most awkward breakfast of Maxine’s life, Jesse admitted that he had purchased a one-way ticket to Pelican Town – not knowing that the bus only passed by once a week. Having nowhere to stay, Maxine assumed it was inevitable that Jesse would occupy her couch. Sam then adamantly declared that Jesse would be staying at his house. This was way too generous, though, and Maxine insisted that it would be fine if she housed Jesse. _How bad can one week be?_ Maxine thought through a forced smile.

Pleased about this turn of events, Jesse then asked if he could have a tour of the town. After all, he’d never even heard of the place until Maxine’s mom gave him the address.

Startled, Sam asked, “What about Grandpa Hugo?”

“What about him?”

“You didn’t ever meet him?”

“No.” Jesse looked to Maxine, as if surprised by what a weird question it was. “Never had the pleasure. He was rarely in the city. And – well, I run a pretty big business. Not a lot of time off.” He smiled broadly, as if proud of this statement.

Maxine could only stare at her pancakes. It was true. “ _I_ never even came to the farm when he was alive, so Jesse obviously never had the chance to come here. Besides, Grandpa Hugo came to the city for Christmas every year...” Even though that was true, Jesse had rarely made those family gatherings either – her extended family had always been shocked to hear she was still with “that businessman”. Yet, despite having never met him, Grandpa Hugo had always asked how Jesse was doing...

“Aww man, that’s a shame you never got to meet him, Jesse. Hugo was a real character around here. The best prankster I know. I still think about all the barbecues and jam sessions we had!” Sam said morosely, his mouth half full with pancakes.

“W-what?” Maxine asked, surprised. “What are you talking about?”

“Well. Weird thing, but your grandpa was the one who helped me form the band. He even joked about being the unofficial fourth member, with that weird piccolo-flute hybrid he was creating. We jammed here a couple times, though Abigail ha-a-ated dragging her drums here. Some weekends, he’d invite over the older folk – he and Mayor Lewis go way back since they’re school mates. They’d talk everyone’s ears off about the good old days in the Valley. And in the late summer, Willy – that guy by the beach? – he and Hugo would take the boat out early in the morning, and then have a big cookout of everything they caught. That guy made some mean grilled salmon...”

A lump was beginning to form in Maxine’s throat, and it wasn’t the pancakes.

Jesse wiped his mouth. “Hey, how about that tour, Maxine?”

“O-okay,” Maxine said, not knowing how to process this. It had struck her anew that Sam – and everyone in the Valley, probably – had far stronger impressions and greater memories of her own grandfather, than she did. The idea depressed her. “I’ll just go get ready then.”

In her bedroom, Maxine dug through her clothes, looking for something clean, then jumped at the hand suddenly on her shoulder.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, totally fine, just another normal day at the farm,” Maxine said shakily to Sam.

“Good. Just say the word and we can end the charade if you want. But if it’s helping you, then that’s also fine by me.”

“Right, right.” The reassurance was much appreciated, but there was this other feeling Maxine couldn’t shake. This pit in her stomach. But she didn’t have time to think about it. “Let’s just get the tour over with. But are you sure you’re okay with this? I mean, it’s a lot to ask, to lie to Jesse for – oh god, a whole _week_...”

“Trust me, you helped me out last night – more than you think. I promise, I will do this for you, and it will be fine. No harm, no foul.”

“You promise,” she repeated.

“Trust me, what could go wrong?”

Ah. Famous last words. There were a million things that could, and _would_ go wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK U FOR READING :)


	15. The test

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all. it's been months. hello. how is everyone??

West of town, Marnie sipped her black coffee on a cool spring morning and opened the newspaper. The words jumbled as her mind wandered again to last night. Why hadn’t Lewis shown up for Shane’s birthday? He’d promised a million times he was ready for them to go public, but at the last minute had backtracked and avoided her calls. She didn’t know how long she could keep this charade up. Marnie sighed, but the sound of pitter-patter and giggling children forced her out of her pity party. She watched with a grin as her nephew tossed seeds to the chickens. He was quietly instructing Vincent – Jodi’s youngest – how to approach the chickens without startling them. Jas stood beside them, hands on her hips, superior in her years of experience.

Shane was wearing the new hoodie Jas had gotten him – with Marnie’s help, of course. It suited him, brought out the blue in his dark eyes. Marnie smiled. Shane had come so far in the last few months! And despite Lewis’s absence, and the sudden appearance of Jas’s little friend last evening, it had been a lovely birthday. Poor kid. Marnie hoped things would work out for Jodi and her boys. She sipped her coffee again, before noticing the time, and rushed outside.

* * *

It was 8:13 AM and Jesse was on the porch, staring holes into the back of the blonde guy’s head, wondering repeatedly, Him?? HIM?? First off. Who in their right mind would live in a tiny ass town like this, instead of the city – any city – where there were bound to be way more opportunities. Why stay stuck in a dead-end town with a dead-end job? Secondly. What kind of person would count skateboarding as their primary mode of transportation? A man – no, boy – of inferior taste and intellect. That’s what. Someone who clearly couldn’t handle his finances, let alone his own life. He watched as the blonde guy extend a hand to Maxine – his Maxine!! – and Jesse’s heart sunk into his stomach as she took it…

* * *

“Did you even brush it this morning? Honestly, Abby, you need to start taking care of yourself. How are you going to survive when you move out?”

“Mom, you’re getting hair into my cereal,” Abigail grumbled, ducking as her mom started combing through her long purple tresses. Normally she wouldn’t mind the gesture, but at the moment, she was distracted by Sebastian’s text. They’d been out pretty late the previous night, waiting ages for Maxine to show up. And Sam. But neither ever did. Not that Sam had been likely anyway, given what day it was. But still.

Sebastian had gone home, expecting to meet a somber Sam at his doorstep. But that hadn’t happened. Where had that boy gone?? Abigail doubled down on her cereal, vowing to stop by his house quickly, before her dad opened shop.

* * *

“It’s not the fact that he wasn’t there last night. It’s just not like him. Something’s up.”

“Aww. Girl, you’ve got to calm down. He’s always been there for you. Just give him some space right now.”

Penny murmured an unconvinced ‘mhm’ into the phone, then quickly hung up as she realized her mom was leaning against the doorframe behind her.

“Got some spare change, hon?” Pam said, her voice thick with sleep.

Penny burrowed through her bookbag and pulled a couple fives out. “You’re leaving now?”

“Promised old Gussy that I’d be trying out his new menu today! It’s Monday, after all! Ho, but he said I could only have a taste if I took a stab at that little tab of mine. He’s a heart breaker, huh, kid?” Pam chuckled, her face wrinkling a thousand times over. “But, listen, between you and me, I think he’s got a crush on me. That’s why he’s been staring a little more than usual. Your momma’s still got it! Look at the time – almost 9. Day’s not getting any younger, and neither am I. See you tonight, hon!”

Penny looked away as her mom began to dance out the front door, the metal frame clattering loudly behind her. She sighed – just once was all she would allow herself – then scanned her bookshelf. Today seemed like a good day for...Shakespeare. Hugging her torn copy of _Romeo & Juliet_, Penny pulled the bag over her shoulder, then left the trailer.

* * *

Haley stared at herself in the vanity mirror and puffed out her cheeks. She applied one delicate sweep of blush, completing her signature look. Satisfied with her ensemble, she picked up her camera and left the sanctity of her bedroom. Out in the living room, Emily was already hard at work, blending fruits and veggies into a monstrous health shake.

“Save some for me, won’t you?” Haley asked her older sister. They were disgusting, but beauty was pain.

“I’m going to be back late tonight. Picked up a shift at Gus’s,” Emily yelled to her departing back. “Don’t wait up for me!”

“I never do-o-o!” Haley cried in parting. Of course, by the time Emily returned, she would already be hours into her beauty sleep. Duh. Outside the sun glinted high in the sky, its warmth enveloping her immediately. It was the perfect weather, and more importantly, lighting for taking photos. Today was going to be a great day.

* * *

9:07 AM, town square. Business as usual in the valley. Penny clutched Vincent’s hand on her left, and Jas on her right. “There aren’t any cars, Miss Penny; why do we gotta hold hands?” Jas pouted.

“Shh,” Vincent said, tightening his grip. “Thanks for getting us, Miss Penny,” he beamed up at her.

“Of course, dear,” Penny replied. “Did you sleep well last night?”

“Uh huh,” Vincent smiled. “Miss Marnie made chocolate cake for Uncle Shane, and he ate three slices, then vomited. It was really funny.” He started giggling, and soon Jas was cackling too.

“It came out his nose,” she squealed.

Penny only smiled in response. “Speaking of cake, we’re going on a picnic next week. How does that sound?”

“That’s – hey! Brother’s here! Sam! Sa-a-am!!” Vincent suddenly yelled and let go of Penny, as he raced to the newcomers in the square.

Penny smiled in anticipation, but it soon faded as she took in a surprising sight.

At exactly 9:10 AM, Sam stood frozen in the town center, his mind realizing a million things at once. One of these realizations – arguably the biggest – was that fake dating was the worst idea in the world. He’d seen movies – it never worked there! Why would it now?? And for him, the person with the worst luck in the world?? The second realization was that Haley was standing right there. She was preoccupied with her camera, of course, but even if she turned just a half inch to the left, she would notice them. And the biggest gossip in the world was the last person you would want to see at a time like this.

But nothing could help the fact that, thirdly, every weekday morning, around this time, Penny and the kids crossed the town center on their way to the library. If Sam had even taken a second to consider that, he would’ve staggered the tour by ten minutes, and avoided what was about to happen. Because, fourth of all, his brother was barreling towards him, unknowingly about to torpedo the entire charade.

Sam forced himself to think positively and tightened his grip on the girl beside him. After all, this was all for her. Were her hands the sweaty ones or his? Forget the nerves. Forget the sweat. There was no time. They could do this. He cleared his throat loudly. “Hey, Vince. You doing okay, bud?”

Vincent nodded at his older brother, while staring intensely at the linked hands, too surprised to say anything more. Sam turned his focus to Penny. “Thanks again, for, ah, helping out last night.”

“Any time,” Penny said flatly, not even meeting his eyes. Her face was flushed, as she pulled the kids along. “Come on, darlings, we’ve got to get to class.”

“Wait, Penny –” Sam began, but Penny frowned and shook her head, rushing away.

As they left, Vincent’s head turned back so he could continue staring at his brother.

“I’m sorry, was this a dumb idea? She seemed upset…” Maxine said quietly.

“It’s fine, I’ll talk to her later. Let’s keep going,” Sam reassured, forcing a smile, for Maxine’s sake. She nodded, and gave a small smile back.

“So where are you taking me?” Jesse asked, his gruff voice causing the two to jump. “I take it this is where all the action happens.”

“R-right,” Maxine replied. “The town center. There’s the convenience and grocery store – Pierre’s – and the doctor’s office. Um. The bar’s over there. It’s pretty cool, we can go there later if you want. And, um –”

“Farmer! What is this dungaree business? Is it back in fashion?” Haley descended upon the trio suddenly, walking as if a trail of flowers flowed behind her.

“O-oh! Hi,” Maxine said, stepping away.

“Haley,” Sam greeted. Under his breath, he muttered a swear word. One catastrophe at a time, please, universe.

“And you, Sam…why are you still wearing your pajamas? I mean, I know you like that whole hobo chic skateboarder look, but this one really takes the cake –” Haley paused mid-sentence as her examination of his outfit landed on the interlocked hands. “What is this?”

“What is what?” Maxine immediately said, taking another step back.

“What is…” Haley began, then her eyes landed on the man behind them. She propped a manicured finger delicately against her cheek. “Who is this tall drink of water? Is he with you?”

“W-who?” Maxine stammered, as she followed her gaze to Jesse. “Him?”

“Yes, him! Oh my god, never mind,” Haley said, already sashaying through the linked hands. “Hi, I’m Haley. You must be new to town. I’m free to give you a tour if you’d like. I’ll be over at the forest later today. I can show you all the best spots!”

“Best spots for what?” Jesse asked, confused, as he shook her hand. But Haley only winked and flashed a dazzlingly white smile as she walked away.

“That wasn’t as bad as I expected. Looks like she got too distracted finding a new toy for the week,” Sam whispered to Maxine. To Jesse, he said, “Don’t worry about her. She’s just bored. Hey, let’s go to the beach. It’s pretty nice in the mornings.”

“How can you be so relaxed about this?” Maxine whispered, as they followed Jesse. Her hands felt shaky, and she couldn’t stop jumping at every motion out of the corner of her eye, expecting the next newcomer, the next close call. They’d been lucky so far, but surely it wouldn’t last!

“Deep breaths,” Sam replied. “It’ll be over soon. Just keep going over the story we came up with. The meeting in the forest, the dog…”

“The dog,” Maxine continued, her breaths already beginning to regulate. “Getting the leash tangled with your skateboard. Chance encounters. Hanging out. Um…”

“And secretly dating for the last few weeks…”

“A month.”

“A month,” Sam echoed, as they reached the river bridge, “and going well enough that coincidentally today is the day everyone finds out. And that’s it! E’s to the p’s.”

“What’s e’s?”

The pair jumped back as Abigail’s purple head suddenly popped out from behind a nearby tree. Her eyes scanned the linked hands and immediately narrowed. “What in absolute tarnation’s –” she began.

“Sam, dear! There you are! Do you have work tonight? I need you to pick up a few…”

Maxine felt like she was getting whiplash. There stood, just behind Abigail, the redheaded lady she had seen just recently at Sam's house, the one who had been so dazed and tired. It was like night and day. This woman seemed several years younger, almost glowing in the morning light.

“Mom!” Sam greeted, plastering a huge fake smile on his face. Sure, lying to Penny and the town gossip were hard. But now he had to deal with his best friend and his mom at the same time?? _This was bad_ , he realized for the billionth time. He shot his best friend a desperate look that said “for the love of all that is good, don’t say a SINGLE WORD.” She knew that look well. “How are you, Mom? I, yeah, I got work later. What do you need?”

“You didn’t come last night. Did you say thank you to Robin and Demetrius for letting you sleep over again? I should probably make them a little casserole, besides one for Marnie too.”

“I’m not a little kid,” Sam grumbled, then added, without even thinking, “Besides, I didn’t even sleep there last night.”

“Then where – oh.” Jodi then had her turn of realizing there was a girl attached to her son’s hand, and her own hand went to her mouth.

Sam rolled his eyes at Abigail, who winked and smiled in return.

“You. You’re…” Jodi pointed between Sam and Maxine, excitement growing, then she finally turned to Maxine. “You must be Uncle Hugo’s granddaughter.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Maxine stuttered, as she offered to shake her hand, before realizing it was attached to Sam’s, and lowered it back down. “I…I think we met before but, um. Nice to meet you. Now. I’m Maxine.”

“Yes. Maxine.” Jodi smiled warmly. “I’ve heard so much about you. But seems like he left some things out… I’m sorry that we haven’t been acquainted sooner. My youngest keeps my hands full, and I’m sure your farm is the same for you! Well. We’ll have to make up for lost time. This weekend! Maxine, please come to my house for dinner! If you can, bring a fish, and I’ll make my casserole. It’s a family recipe, and the secret ingredient will surprise you!”

“Mo-o-o-m,” Sam groaned, through gritted teeth. “Be cool. We don’t have to do this.”

“Abigail, do you want to come too? You’re more than welcome!” Jodi continued, ignoring her son.

“As much as I desperately want to say yes, maybe next time, Jodi,” Abigail returned, her eyes lit up with mischief.

“Aren’t you late for aerobics?” Sam asked pointedly. As if remembering the time, Jodi nodded and handed Sam a paper and rushed away, waving excitedly at them.

Abigail immediately dropped the silent act. “You SLY dogs! No wonder neither of you bothered to show up last night! A heads up would have been nice, but…hey…I’m just happy you finally did what we’ve all been betting on.”

“Bets?” Maxine asked, at the same time as Sam hissed for Abigail to go start her shift at Pierre’s, or she would regret it.

Abigail paused and stared at them, confused, just as Jesse approached.

“You guys are being so weird,” he merely said, after witnessing everything.

“Well, we were trying to keep it all on the down low you know it’s just very private what we have going on and it’s uhh sacred and as a new relationship you have to protect how fragile it is you know what I mean?” Maxine blathered, as Sam said loudly “I don’t know what you’re talking about we’ve been acting like a perfectly normal couple just like any other couple doing couple things what are you even talking about haha bro I think you need some more coffee bytheway ABIGAIL, this is JESSE, Maxine’s ex who is VISITING for the week.”

Abigail gawked at her friend, as a new realization hit her. “Nice to meet you,” she said up to Jesse, who towered over her.

“Yeah. Same. Listen, guys, I gotta jump in on a conference call this afternoon. The team’s got a new client to schmooze and I’m just gonna check in and see if the edits I made were done last night. You mind?” Jesse was already drifting across the bridge, phone in hand.

“He’s the worst,” Abigail grumbled, watching him go.

“You literally just met him!”

“I heard about him already, though. Geez, Sam. Maxine and I talk all the time. The world doesn’t revolve around you,” Abigail jokingly protested, before shooting a concerned look at both of them. “So, I get it now. It’s a sham for his sake. Right?”

Maxine nodded, feeling a semblance of metaphorical weight lift off her shoulders. “Yes. And I don’t want to jinx it but…you guys, I think it’s working!”

“I guess so. But are you sure this is such a good idea? I mean –” Abigail stopped talking as soon as she caught Sam’s eyes. “Well. I won’t blab. I’ll keep your secret safe…”

“Thank you so much, Abigail,” Maxine gushed. “And thank you again, Sam. Seriously, you’re such a good friend! And so quick on your feet. Genius!”

“Yeah,” Sam replied, as Maxine walked ahead of them, crossing the bridge to the beach. “I’m brilliant. Great idea.”

“If this is such a great idea, then why are my bullshit detectors going off?” Abigail whispered loudly to Sam, nudging him in the stomach.

He chose to ignore her.


	16. Is it the answer

By the end of aerobics class, ten people knew about the newest couple in town. By the end of the day, it was all anybody could discuss. Not that Maxine was aware of that. The trio had ended up at the beach, where Sam had to regrettably take his leave to go to work. And despite his protests to call in sick (“Trust me, the manager won’t care! I think he’d even prefer it!”) but Maxine just laughed and waved him off.

“You’ll be okay?”

“I can handle him,” Maxine said quietly, with more confidence than she really felt. “Thanks for your help. I know it’s kind of weird, but…” She paused, acutely aware that Jesse was watching them. “Well. Anyway. You’re going to be late, so… see you later.”

“Right. Bye,” Sam said, stiffly, as if aware of the same thing. And as quick as lightning, he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. His fingers brushed lightly against her jaw, then he let his hand fall, and headed for the bridge without turning back.

Maxine stood frozen on the spot, her mind spinning as it tried to replay the moment again and again.

“Geez, I thought he’d never leave!” Jesse laughed loudly as he approached. “Finally! We can talk in private.”

She had not regained her senses yet, so there wasn’t much to do but robotically follow Jesse to sit in the sand, close to the tides. Her cheek was still burning.

“So, listen, Maxie. I was serious with what I said before. I didn’t come down here just for you to say no – I’m taking you back home, where you belong.”

“Jesse, I –” Maxine began, finally regaining her composure.

“You haven’t even seen the ring yet.” Quickly, Jesse pulled out the velvet box again, this time opening it and holding it out formally.

Maxine gasped. “Your grandmother’s ring.” Inside lay a diamond encrusted band, though the centrepiece was a pale jade stone, glowing. “But, she said she’d never part with it…”

“I practically begged her for it. And I had to promise a grandkid in the next two years! Come on, Maxie. Say you’ll marry me. We’ve known each other so long. I can’t live without you. I’ve been such a mess at home. And this guy? I mean. He’s nice, but he doesn’t have the history that you and I do.”

Maxine stared into Jesse’s earnest brown eyes. “I know, but –” she began, frowning.

“I mean, I don’t get it,” Jesse interrupted. “Why here, of all places? When your parents told me where you were, I thought they were joking. You’re not a farmer. You barely even kept a plant alive in our old apartment. And what’s up with this guy? He’s got nothing. He’s like…one step away from being a homeless drunk musician, a washed up one hit wonder.”

“Hey, that’s not fair at all! You don’t even know him,” Maxine interjected.

“Trust me. I know people like that. And people like that don’t have a whole lot of a future to promise you. Remember all the stuff _we_ had planned together? All that talk about getting married by next year and having kids before we turned 30. What happened to all that? Did the feelings just disappear overnight? And our dream of becoming the hot power couple who took over the business industry? I even had that journalist run that piece about us last month. I know you wanted to cancel it, but…did you see how good our profile sounded?”

Maxine closed her eyes and let out a long exhale. This was all just a rehashing of their last conversation months ago, when they had broken up. “I’m so sorry, but that’s just not what I want anymore.”

“Yeah, well, you’ll probably change your mind once you move back home. Your parents said you’d only be a year here, right?”

“Well, yeah, but…” Maxine had forgotten all about that. The plan. To restore the farmhouse within a year. But that was months and months away. And besides, she could visit any time after that. The farm wasn’t going anywhere.

“Trust me, this time next year, you’ll be back in the city and looking for things to do. What are your plans? There’s always a place at the office for you, Maxie. I’ll make sure of it. And…you know there’s always a place in my heart for you.”

“Jesse. Please stop asking me. I want to stay here. For sure.”

“But… _why_?” His voice was thick with disbelief.

“It’s…there’s so many reasons! I mean…look at this place! I could never have a view like this in the city.”

“It’s just a beach, Maxie.”

“No, really look at it. Breathe in that salty air. Feel the wind in your hair. The…the sand on your feet. Really take it all in. Close your eyes and listen. You hear that? It’s just water and the birds. And it’s nice. It gives me this feeling that I don’t get when I’m at home. You know?”

Jesse was doing what she said, but his only response was a grimace, as he readjusted his glasses. “If you want to go to the beach more, I’ll take you.”

“You’re missing the point.” Maxine dug her feet deeper into the sand. “My grandpa lived here almost his whole life. It wasn’t just a place to make a quick buck and retire. He loved it so much that he never left. He made a _home_ , he was part of a community. He belonged to these people, and it’s such a freaking shame that it could be gone. His whole legacy. That’s why I’m here. That’s why I want to stay, and why I can’t go back with you. I’m sorry, but it’s the truth.” The words tumbled out as if Maxine had been holding onto them for a while. And hidden beneath them was the guilt of not seeing her grandfather more often, of not knowing him as well as the townspeople did…and the fear that now, even now, she would let him down. But she was relieved to let it out. Relieved, and hopeful that Jesse could understand how she felt about the Valley. She rarely enjoyed talking so openly about her feelings, but this seemed important.

Jesse could only stare at her, as if she were speaking a foreign language. “This is so unlike you, Maxie.”

“Please don’t call me that anymore.”

“I just didn’t expect you to move on so fast.” There was a tinge of bitterness in his voice. “We were together for seven years. That’s practically a life time.”

“I know…”

“So, you’re not joking? Living here is what you want? And this guy you barely know. I mean, compared to me –” Jesse stopped himself abruptly. “Are you in love with him?”

“I…” Her face flushed. “Sure. I mean, yeah. _Of course_!” Right. The fake dating. Maxine forced herself to focus. She had to keep the charade going, an extra layer of protection from Jesse’s ardour.

He sighed again, as if finally, _finally_ resigning himself to the truth in her words. He toyed with the ring box, then closed it with a snapping finality. “This is going to be a fun week then, isn’t it?” he said, as he shoved it back into his pocket.

“I still care about you, Jesse. I want you to be happy.”

“I know.” He propped his hand against his cheek and stared out into the waters. “Let’s go back to your place. I have another conference call in an hour.”

* * *

A slow, dragging-its-feet-into-the-ground kind of week. It started rough, with the whirlwind of activity and anxiety. Maxine introduced Jesse to the people she had befriended in the last couple of months, and introduced him to the parts of the Valley she knew about. She wondered if he saw the Valley in the same way she first did: unnaturally green and wild and mysterious. He was immune to its hidden charms, unreceptive to its warm embrace. It would have helped if Sam’s energy had been around to lighten the mood, but he couldn’t get out of work.

It was okay, though. Maxine had known Jesse for years. Of _course_ she could handle him. And as she repeated the story of her new relationship, answered all the questions with as much generality and vagueness as possible, eventually it became comfortable too, like a used hat. She and Sam had met in the forest. Sirius had taken an immediate liking. They had quietly started dating. It was humble, nondescript. It was normal. _They_ were normal. Kismet. Fate. Inevitability of being in a small town.

And so, Maxine fell into an uneasy routine with Jesse. They were both up at the crack at dawn to eat breakfast, him to start complaining about the poor internet connection, her to mutter an apology and run out into the fields to start her work. He would work on his laptop in the kitchen, while she walked Sirius. They’d walk around town, ignoring the looks, and talking like old friends. It was oddly like how they were back then, though she had a “boyfriend” now, which he was constantly reminded of. They’d see Sam on his way home from work and the charade would begin seamlessly again. It became comfortable to lean against his tall frame a little more, when he made a passing compliment, or to beam up at him after he told a joke, or to take his hand and idly intertwine their fingers…

It helped. Jesse cooled off quickly with the constant PDA, and behind his back, Maxine and Sam plotted and compared notes and reviewed ideas on how to keep Jesse’s suspicions from rising. They’d debated the merit of finding Jesse a rebound, just as Maxine had found Sam, then dismissed it as Maxine did not want to unleash Jesse on anyone in town. It was almost fun to scheme and pretend, and easier than she had expected. Maxine had asked if it was causing any trouble for Sam, but he insisted he was fine with it all. He never brought up Penny, and she didn’t ask.

 

Midway through Jesse’s stay, Maxine was feeling heavily suffocated being at the farm with just him, and practically jumped when Sam asked them to hang out at the bar. Maxine still had never been there, and Jesse was down to see what night life in town looked like. Though it was a weekday, the bar was packed and all of Maxine’s notions of having a relatively calm and relaxed night flew out the window.

Shouldn’t the townspeople be exhausted in the middle of the week? What was everyone doing here?? Maxine dragged Jesse to a booth, making quick greetings of whoever they passed. Almost immediately, Sam appeared and slid into the booth beside Maxine.

They’d barely scanned the menus that Gus, the owner, gave them, when Haley approached the table, her blonde hair curled to perfection, and wearing a flattering pink dress. “Evening, mister,” she said, flashing a smile to Jesse, not even looking at the other two. “It’s been a while. Care to join me at the bar?”

Wide-eyed, Jesse glanced over to Sam and Maxine.

“Go, go, be my guest,” Maxine said, just as shocked as him.

“She’s harmless,” Sam said, winking to Jesse, as he slid out of the booth.

“One drink wouldn’t hurt,” Jesse replied.

“I think Haley’s going to be our saving grace this week,” Sam said to Maxine, laughing.

“I can’t believe it! He actually found a possible rebound! I mean, she made the move, but still! Was she supposed to do that?”

“Who knows with Haley. I mean, I _may have_ suggested she come by tonight, since she never comes here if she can help it. But…wow. Fingers crossed. Now what should we order? I’m hungry… Wait, do you hear that?”

The pair turned, searching for the source of the sudden yelling. At the other end of the room, a very visibly sloshed Pam was slapping the counter and yelling to anyone within hearing distance, “Should’ve known it all along! That boy is TROUBLE.” She pointed unsteadily in Sam’s direction, far across the room. “Broke my Penny’s heart, he did! What’s a mother to do but drown her sorrows?” She started sobbing hysterically, pausing to take a gulp of beer, then crying again. Behind the counter, Gus was wiping clean some glasses wordlessly. The blue-haired bartender near him, however, looked beside herself, angrier and angrier as Pam’s tirade went on.

Sam closed his eyes and slouched into his seat. “It’s just a nightmare, just a nightmare,” he muttered under his breath, as Pam shouted about “delinquents and bad boys!”

Eventually, the bartender threw her dishrag on the counter. “Listen, Pam! I know you’ve got your problems, but so does everyone else! You’re bringing down the energy in this bar, and it’s not welcome! Can you _please_ just keep it down, for the sake of the other customers? Or else we will have to kindly ask you to leave.” The bar silenced completely, until only the jukebox could be heard. Everyone glanced furtively at Pam, waiting for her response.

“Well!” Pam huffed. “I’ve never been treated with such, such… I am Gus’s best customer…!” She seemed like she was about to go on, but then lowered her head and sipped at her drink, sending evil eyes to the bartender. The bar livened up once more.

“Phew. That was not as bad as I expected, coming from her,” Sam muttered, before straightening up in his seat, and picking up the menu again.

Maxine just stared at him. She was about to ask what that whole commotion was, but the bartender was suddenly at their table, ready to take their order.

“Thanks for what you said back there, Emily,” Sam said hastily.

“I didn’t do it for you guys,” the bartender named Emily said. She scowled. “I mean, no offense. I don’t really know you that well. Maxine, right? Penny’s my friend and I know the last thing she wants is for her mother to do something ridiculous in front of everyone. Even if it is to attack an ex-boyfriend on her behalf. Mazel tov on your new relationship.” She shot Sam a pointed look and walked away.

Mouth open, Sam let out a sound of disbelief. “I can’t believe I’m on Emily’s bad side! Of all people! She’s never mad at anyone!” Sam appeared so disturbed by the notion – even more so than being publicly called out by Pam – that Maxine was reminded yet again that this whole fake dating business had more negative consequences than she had intended.

She took a deep breath. “We should tell Emily the truth then.”

“Are you crazy?”

“I mean. She looks trustworthy…and I’m sure she would be more understanding if she knew you were just trying to help me.”

Sam considered this. “Well, Emily’s certainly no motor mouth like Haley. But if she accidentally tells her sister…”

They looked over at Haley and Jesse, who were leaning into each other, by the bar. It looked like a very intimate conversation, hardly deterred by Pam’s outburst. Maxine turned back to Sam. She wanted him to come out of all this unscathed. She couldn’t have his reputation suffer so much, because of her. “Please, let’s just tell Emily. And swear her to secrecy.”

Sam sighed, and beckoned Emily over.

The bartender came back, pen and paper at the ready again. “How can I help you?”

“Emily…” Sam whispered. “Maxine and I aren’t really together.”

Emily stepped back, then narrowed her eyes. “But your mom told everyone in class…”

“Yeah, well.” Maxine pointed discreetly to Jesse. She felt herself flush, suddenly feeling kind of embarrassed. Like they were in middle school or something, and she wasn’t a proper 25-year-old lady. Who pretended to date in this day and age?? “We’re just playing it up so my ex can accept that I moved on.”

Concern crossed Emily’s face. “So, he’s a persistent type, huh? I should warn my sister.”

“No, no! It’s not like that!” Maxine quickly waved her hands. “I mean, he is the driven type. That’s how he got so good at business. But, um. We just weren’t right for each other. He’s a good guy. Just not my type. Not for me.”

“Hm…” Emily said, her concern dissipating. “Okay. But hold up. You’re not a couple, then! I was so convinced! Everyone is!”

At this, the pair laughed nervously, each muttering something about good acting.

“We really hate each other,” Sam said solemnly.

“Can’t stand him” Maxine added. “But in all seriousness, Sam’s been super helpful. He’s a good friend. That’s all.”

“R-right. And Penny and me, we…we’re not…” Sam fumbled.

“I was so sure you and Penny were together,” Emily mused. “She’s been a lot chirpier the last few months. Huh. I wonder why.” She shrugged and smiled. “Sorry I was so harsh. Your secret’s safe with me! I’m going to go eavesdrop on my sister. Let me know if you guys need anything else.”

“Don’t tell my mom!” Sam yelled at Emily’s retreating figure.

“That was fine, right?” Maxine said.

“I think so,” Sam said. “Too late now. We just have to trust her.”

Maxine frowned. It was her idea, but was trust enough to get them through the night that had barely begun?

“Speaking of…” Sam gestured at Sebastian and Abigail, who were heading towards their table. “Abigail knows already, but Sebastian is still out of the loop.”

“They’re your best friends, so…”

“Exactly. Trust me. If I can trust them, you can trust them. Or at least, trust in my trust in them.”

“Trust is starting to sound like a weird word,” Maxine commented as she reached for the peanuts.

“Samson. Maxine,” Sebastian said as he slid into the booth. “I believe congratulations are in order.”

 _Samson??_ Maxine mouthed to herself.

“Before you say anything, Sebastian,” Sam said, “I have news.”

“The band is breaking up,” Abigail replied, her peanut dropping midway from her mouth.

“No. Never! Geez, Ab.” Sam pulled a face at her. “Seb. You may have heard about, well, about Maxine and I. Being a couple. The truth is…” He paused dramatically. “It’s a lie.”

The group sat in silence, before Abigail snorted. “Drama king much?” She popped some more peanuts into her mouth.

“Yeah, Abby already told me,” Sebastian said, as he gestured for Emily to send more drinks. “It’s for the benefit of the ex over there, right? Seems like he’s over you, Maxine.”

Sam leaned back in the booth and rolled his eyes. “Of course.”

“Good,” Maxine said. “Um. But we just have to keep this going until the weekend. When Jesse leaves.”

“Guys, I totally forgive you for your ridiculousness, by the way,” Abigail said solemnly. “And since we’re all in on it now, wouldn’t it be more fun if we upped the intensity? Make it more…I don’t know, exciting?? Off the top of my head, my first brilliant idea is that, Sam, you need to propose, TONIGHT.”

Sam choked on his drink.

“That would definitely give your mom a heart attack,” Sebastian continued. “They’ve only been going out for a week. Not believable.”

“Actually, a month. Only publicly dating for a week,” Sam corrected, before his face flushed and he started chugging his beer again.

“They’ve known each other since the start of spring! That’s practically an eternity if you’re calling it a whirlwind romance. Right??” Abigail argued.

“I guess we did say something about love at first sight…” Maxine trailed off.

“So, a proposal isn’t entirely out of left field! In fact, by the law of the romance gods and all the aligned planets out there, it’s actually right on schedule,” Abigail teased, her eyes sparkling. Sam abruptly stood up, saying something about pool, and Sebastian followed, amidst Abigail’s protesting.

Alone with Abigail, Maxine took the opportunity to apologize. “I know it’s been a mess of a situation we put ourselves in, and I’m sorry that we were making you lie the other day in front of Sam’s mom…I didn’t know what else to do! Jesse was proposing, and Sam was there, and I just panicked!”

“Oh, please. Maxine, you don’t have to apologize. I was just worried Sam disappeared that night, because, well, with his dad being gone, you can never predict what that boy’s up to around this time of year. But it certainly looks like he found a good distraction for once. You’re really going to keep this up, huh?”

“Just for the week.”

“And you’re enjoying it.”

“Huh? No! Not like that. No. I mean, I guess it’s kind of fun to pretend. Sometimes it feels a little too easy, though.”

Abigail started laughing. “Well, of course Sam’s a natural. He’s pretty suave with the ladies. Must’ve been from living in the city all those years. All those exes he claims he had. And then there was Penny of course.”

“W-what about Penny?” Maxine asked, trying to speak casually.

“As soon as he moved here, he and Penny were super close. Like inseparable. Sam never really talked about it, but I bet they dated. At least a little. No wonder Pam’s taking it pretty hard to see you two together.” At the sight of Maxine’s face, Abigail waved her hand dismissively. “Oh no, Maxine! Don’t even worry about it! Sam’s such a good friend, I know he would never hurt Penny. I’m sure everything’s fine! Besides, he could never have passed up a chance to help you.”

“What does _that_ mean?” Maxine asked, confused, but before Abigail could answer, Sebastian had come back to the table, and was pulling Abigail to her feet.

“We need you to keep score. Sam’s fudging the numbers again.”

Abigail rolled her eyes. “Come on, Maxine. Let’s go see your boy lose.”

“That bad?”

“Worse,” Sebastian said, leading them to the back room.


End file.
